


We Can Touch Utopia

by stanstraykids99



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: AKA Cato Maia and Lyn, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gay, How Do I Tag, I guess we'll see, I'm soft for all of them, M/M, Oblivious Mutual Pining, Royalty, Scotland, Strong Language, Supernatural Elements, Thanks to my editing crew, everyone has powers, gifted, only four characters have romances, so far - Freeform, vigilantes, welp I slipped and they're gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2020-06-03 21:04:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19472182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stanstraykids99/pseuds/stanstraykids99
Summary: AU where there are a shunned group of people known as the Gifted by their own kind, but by the others, they are called the Scourged. Each Gifted has a special supernatural ability, but because of it, they're treated very poorly.What is a summary





	1. Daily Life of Being A Fuck-Up--Thanks Dad!

Yunho was a fuck up. Not in the sense that usually goes with that phrase, though. No, in fact, he was actually pretty intelligent, not to mention that he was the best fighter on the fortress grounds. (Though his father would never let that fact be known outside of the walls of Fort Dumyat). He wasn’t a fuck-up in terms of life choices, either.

No, Yunho was a fuck-up because of something entirely out of his control. He was a bastard. 

**Bastard (noun):** an illegitimate child. 

His father was the Duke of Stirling, and his mother? Well, that’s anyone’s guess. She’d either run away from the life of being a mistress, or his father had got rid of her himself. Maybe with a noose. Damn his father for not doing the same to him, honestly.

As a bastard of a Duke, Yunho didn’t have many responsibilities. Other than a few public appearances a year and the occasional completely pointless lesson (in his opinion), he was usually left to roam free around the fortress, which led him to befriend the staff. He knew all the staff, which wasn’t all that impressive; the castle they lived in was quite small, even for Yunho’s father. 

His best friend, Yeosang, was a servant in the castle. Well, that’s what Yeosang liked to call himself to ease the burden of what he truly was. Really, he was a poorly hidden slave. He wasn’t paid in the slightest and was only given food once a day.

Yeosang would have been an upstanding member of higher society, had he not been Marked. He liked to hide his gift (known by non-Marked as the Scourged) from everyone, but it was useless when his Mark was on his left cheek, in plain view. He couldn’t cover it, so he simply had to deal with everything that came along with the Mark. 

Though he was treated poorly because of it, Yeosang still practiced his gift diligently. Yunho was never allowed to watch, but Yeosang had told him that he had control over the elements, especially water.

It pained Yunho to think about how his father was the one that was perpetuating the discrimination against the Marked, especially when the one being affected was his own best friend. 

Of course, Yunho was Marked, too. His Mark was mercifully easier to hide, being on his bicep, and Yunho’s gift was a bit harder to pinpoint, much to the relief of his father. He was able to manipulate energy. Formally, his father had prohibited him from developing his power any further, but he’d figured out that he could use his powers very subtly. The only way he’d figured out how to in his extremely limited practice was as a boost to his fighting ability. He wasn’t sure how it worked, and as a result, he had to be very careful not to lose control.

He’d lost control once, several years ago. He didn’t mean to, of course, but he was hated by a few because of it. 

_It was supposed to be a routine fight. The parapet for the Duke of Dumyat that was always empty loomed above him. Only today, it wasn’t empty. He met his father’s eyes and an uneasy feeling settled heavily in his stomach, and he glanced away quickly._

_His opponent was one he’d faced before, one of the top soldiers in the fort. He was quite a bit older than Yunho, but they were a decent match. They were actually friends, as they were somewhat similar. Yunho didn’t have many friends._

_The two took their fights very seriously, but Jackson threw a smile across the ring before they started. Yunho smiled back faintly, his eyes flicking over to his father. Other than him, there were very few others, most of them leaning on the walls of the ring._

_The fight began without fanfare, just a simple nod between the two fighters. Yunho was the first to strike; he feinted right, then caught Jackson off-guard with an uppercut from his left. Yunho was right-handed, but he needed to get the advantage in the fight right away, and a surprise was the best strategy to do so. Jackson wasn't able to dodge the punch but managed to pull back, the blow not as devastating as Yunho had hoped._

_Jackson retaliated almost immediately, with only a split second for Yunho to react. Jackson was too fast, and he threw a punch to Yunho's left side, which he didn't see coming. Jackson's fist knocked the wind out of him, so he retreated to catch his breath._

_Jackson and Yunho were a good match; they'd been fighting for years now. Their wins were about 50/50 and just based on how the first bout went, it looked as if Jackson would win today's match._

_Time and time again, Yunho struck first but was bested by Jackson, who had always been faster than him._

_Eventually, the blows to his torso wore at his resolve. He began to grow sluggish, and Jackson noticed his labored breathing, switching to a more offensive strategy. It was all Yunho could do to block his attacks._

_Finally, a particularly strong punch to his gut threw Yunho to the ground. He rolled to soften the impact, and as the dust clouded around him, he spit out a mouthful of blood. He was about to forfeit. Jackson had lowered his fists and was looking at the downed boy apologetically._

_But then he accidentally looked at his father. The disappointed look in his eyes was apparent as he gave Yunho's bloody and exhausted form a once-over. He shook his head and sighed, moving to leave the ring, clearly dissatisfied._

_Something broke in Yunho._

_Maybe it was a deep-seated desire to impress his father, or maybe just a previously untapped well of anger, but he began to seethe. He felt a tingle building under his skin, becoming an almost unbearable burning. He fixed his eyes on Jackson. He would **not** lose this fight._

_He stood, and suddenly he felt as light as a feather. He couldn't feel the pain of his injuries anymore. He saw his father leaving from the corner of his eye, and a guttural roar bubbled up from somewhere deep inside him._

_He smiled when his father stopped and turned. Then he focused on the fight. Jackson had raised his fists again, but his face was twisted in confusion. It was almost as if he didn't recognize the younger boy._

_Yunho ran at Jackson without warning, as if a force was pushing him from behind. Jackson had plenty of time to block, but nothing could have protected him from the blows that Yunho threw. The first one broke Jackson's defensive stance, and the second connected to his jaw. It was as if a shockwave echoed through the ring. Yunho's perception of time slowed, and he saw Jackson's jaw breaking in painful slow motion. The crack was deafening. Yunho felt a sick satisfaction but pushed it down, disgusted by himself._

_He looked up to his father. Yunho thought that maybe this time he'd be proud, maybe this time he would acknowledge him, but he simply sighed and turned away, leaving Yunho. As always._

_He felt the strange energy drain from his limbs as the Duke walked away, and he fell to his knees. He could feel Jackson's blows again and was suddenly exhausted. The last thing he saw before blacking out was Jackson crumpled on the ground, cupping his injured jaw, and a medic rushing up to him._

_Yunho would never forget the look of pure terror in Jackson's eyes._

Yunho shot up in bed, panting. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and he wiped it off. After he confirmed he was still in his bedroom, he threw the covers off his legs. It was still dark out, but he wasn’t sure exactly what time it was. There was no way he’d be able to get back to sleep with Jackson’s gaze burned into the backs of his eyelids.

Since the day of his fight with Jackson, most of the fighters at Dumyat had avoided him. Only the bravest fought him now, not that Yunho was complaining. He got more consistently challenging fights this way. He hadn’t lost control of his Gift since then, though.

If he couldn’t sleep, then he may as well take a walk. After pulling his boots on, he strolled out of his room. Whatever time it was, there were already a few servants awake. Yunho nodded to each of them. A few nodded back and smiled, but those who had heard of his gift shied away, offering only stiff nods. He may be a bastard, but he was still technically supposed to be respected. If he wasn’t Marked, he’d be practically royalty. 

Yunho made his way to the kitchens and shoved a few rolls of bread in his pockets, taking a block of cheese and a knife right from under the head cook’s nose. The cook gave him an exasperated look and shooed him off, but smiled as the boy waved and walked away with the cheese in hand. Yunho thought, not for the first time, how the cook would treat him if he knew that he was Marked. He also sneakily took some clean cloth that was hanging by the doorway.

With his bounty in his pockets, he headed straight to where he knew Yeosang would be. The roof.

Yeosang often didn’t sleep well, and always woke up early. His favorite time of day was sunrise. Usually, Yunho wasn’t up early enough to see the sunrise; he liked his sleep thank you very much. But when he was awake, he’d join Yeosang and they’d sit on the roof and talk while watching the day begin. Yeosang couldn’t talk much during the day because many of the other servants siphoned off their work to him. After all, he couldn’t really complain. Nobody would listen to a Scourged.

So Yunho loved watching the sunrise with him. It was the only time where they were both free from the prejudice of the outside world when they could be just two regular friends. 

Climbing out the hatch of the bell tower, he saw that the sun was just below the horizon. He took a moment to appreciate the dark orange that was just barely bleeding into the night sky before walking to their usual spot. Yeosang was there, just as he suspected, his feet dangling off the ledge that seemed as if it were made for this very purpose, fitting the two of them.

“Hey, stranger,” Yunho said, tapping Yeosang on the shoulder. 

“Yunho, you’re up early for once,” Yeosang said, not missing a beat.

“You’re really mouthy for how quiet you are,” Yunho responded, sticking his tongue out and sitting down. 

“I don’t get to sleep until 10 every day. Gotta stay sharp,” Yeosang retorted, and Yunho smiled. He produced the cheese and bread from his pocket and Yeosang’s eyes lit up.

“You really shouldn’t risk bringing me food,” He said, but Yunho could see that he was practically salivating at the sight of the food. 

“You say that every time, and I’m not gonna stop,” Yunho chuckled, handing him the bread and beginning to cut a few slices off the block of cheese. Yeosang took one eagerly and placed it on the roll that he’d ripped in half. Yunho looked at him, a faint smile on his face, as the elder boy took a bite of the makeshift sandwich and sighed contentedly. Then he frowned, as he saw an angry red gash peeking out from under Yeosang’s shirt on the back of his neck. 

“What’d you do this time?” He asked, pulling the cloth out of his pocket and soaking it with some water from his canteen. He reached out and began to gently clean Yeosang’s wound, his frown deepening when Yeosang hissed in pain. 

“Oh, I brought the Duchess her tea a minute too late,” Yeosang said flippantly. “She had someone give me a few lashes. Only one of them broke the skin, though.”

“That bitch,” Yunho muttered under his breath. The Duchess was his father’s real wife, and because of this, she hated Yunho more than anything. He was the physical embodiment of the fact that her husband had been unfaithful. 

Yunho cleaned the wound with the cloth and once he deemed it to be fully clean, he pulled Yeosang’s shirt back over the gash.

“We should just run away,” Yunho mused, turning to face the sun again.

“ _You_ say _that_ every time,” Yeosang used his earlier words against him and Yunho huffed, but didn’t argue. He didn’t know where they would go, anyway. Everywhere in Eritrea was hostile towards the Gifted, thanks to the words of the king. He called them the Scourged, and it had unfortunately caught on.

“Maybe we could go out of the country,” Yunho sighed, but his words lacked conviction. There was no way they could make it out of the fortress alone, let alone out of the country. Yunho’s father would have him tracked down and killed in a day, probably publicly claiming treason, an excuse to finally get rid of his son.

A comfortable silence settled over them as they watched the sun peek over the horizon. They could see into the castle grounds, and they watched as they slowly came to life. The few stablehands trudged from the barracks to the stables, yawning. A single servant scurried towards the icehouse, likely fetching some ice for the head cook, who must have started to make breakfast for the royals.

Some days were quiet, like these, and other days they’d talk nonstop. Today an unspoken camaraderie hung in the air between the Marked boys of the castle.

Yeosang eventually broke the silence with something Yunho would never have suspected him to say:

“Have you heard of the vigilantes that are fighting for the Gifted?”

“The what?” Yunho creased his eyebrows. 

“There’s this group out there, somewhere in Eritrea, that has been fighting and winning battles with high-up officials in the Eritrean army who support the official and legal slavery of the Marked,” Yeosang clarified, but his voice didn’t seem very hopeful. 

“Man, if only that were true,” Yunho murmured.

“If only,” Yeosang echoed sadly. “It’s probably just the non-marked spreading rumors because they’re scared of us.” He looked over the courtyard and grimaced slightly.

Yunho saw the despair Yeosang hid behind his eyes. He could see the same emotions and conflicts he felt on a daily basis. Perhaps one day the Gifted could be integrated into society, treated like humans. Even fall in love. “Hey, can you show me that trick you learned last time?” Yunho stuttered, trying to distract the other and lighten the mood. 

“Yunho, you know I don’t like to use my Gift unless I’m practicing or _really_ need to,” Said Yeosang.

“C’mon, pleeease? You showed me last time! You know nobody’s ever seen us up here,” Yunho stuck out his bottom lip and pleaded the elder. When he didn’t react, Yunho tugged on his shirt and Yeosang finally gave in.

“Fine, fine, just stop doing that face, please!” Yeosang laughed. 

“Yess!” Yunho gushed triumphantly. 

Yeosang rolled his eyes but concentrated. He held his hands in the air and began to form a ball of water. He’d told Yunho that he’d finally figured out how to draw water from the air, and Yunho had begged him to see it. 

He managed to conjure up about a marble-sized drop of water and then began to manipulate it. Now this, he’d been able to do before. With a lot of concentration, he could make any shape out of the water and then harden it. The extent to which he could do it was limited, however. He couldn’t make anything very precise, as the ability relied on his prowess as an artist, and Yeosang couldn’t draw worth a shit. This time he made the shape into a lightning bolt, and Yunho practically squealed when Yeosang dropped the figure into his hands. 

“For me?” His eyes shone, and Yeosang chuckled, his deep voice resonating.

“‘Course,” he answered, and Yunho inspected it closer.

“Wow, you’ve gotten better in just a week!” Yunho said, and Yeosang hid his smile at the praise. 

“Ah, it’s really nothing,” He said, though it was a difficult--albeit useless--ability. 

“You know, you might be able to do something similar,” Yeosang contemplated, and Yunho sighed, putting the lightning bolt into his pocket. “You know, like pull energy from things around you. Not necessarily people, but maybe plants?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to try,” Yunho exhaled. “I don’t want to accidentally hurt anyone, let alone you. Plus I have no idea if that would actually work.”

Yeosang hadn’t expected anything different from Yunho. He’d barely used his powers since his fight with Jackson, which just so happened to be the same day they met. 

_“Where am I?” Yunho groaned, touching his head gingerly. “I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck,”_

_“You’re in the infirmary,” a deep, soothing voice sounded from somewhere nearby. “The pain is from the wounds from the fight, plus you’re dehydrated. Drink.”_

_Yunho obeyed the servant quietly and looked him up and down discreetly. He had brown hair, and was somewhat tall, though not as tall as he was. As Yunho studied his face, he noticed that not only was he incredibly handsome, but he was clearly Marked. The mark was on his left cheek, and it was a simple swirl that was just a touch darker than his own skin. The boy noticed Yunho was staring at the mark and lowered his head in shame, turning away to soak a piece of cloth in water._

_“Wait,” Yunho said, and the servant reluctantly turned, his face a mask of apprehension and slight terror. It broke Yunho’s heart. Instead of saying anything, Yunho pulled unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt, slipping the sleeve down to show his Mark._

_Yunho’s Mark coincidentally also had a swirl, but it had two sides. On each side, two little prongs stuck out from the edge of the spirals. The servant’s eyes widened, and Yunho smiled warmly._

_“I’m Yunho,” he introduced himself._

_“Yeosang,” the boy muttered hesitantly._

Though Yunho had seemed upbeat that day, Yeosang had gradually noticed that he used humor to distract himself from his dark thoughts. Thoughts that maybe, he deserved to be hated. Thankfully, Yeosang had talked him out of it, but every once in a while they’d have a day like this, where Yunho was reminded of the time he lost control and was unusually introspective.

“Hey, someday you’ll be able to control your powers, okay? I promise, with me around, nobody will get hurt,” Yeosang boasted, lightening the mood a little, which was usually the younger’s role. 

Yunho shook his head and smiled, relieving the tension. “As if you could stop me,” He joked, and Yeosang smiled. The sun was now fully above the horizon.

“Well, it’s about time for me to get to everyone else’s chores,” He sighed, stretching and letting out a groan. “All in a hard day’s work.”

“Don’t go,” Yunho pouted, but he knew that Yeosang had no choice.

“Sorry, Yunnie, I’ve gotta,” Yeosang reached over and hugged the younger boy, who leaned into the hug. Yeosang didn’t touch people often, but when Yunho needed it, he somehow knew. 

When they parted, Yeosang left Yunho with a bright smile that melted his heart. He didn’t know where he would be without Yeosang, but he knew it would have been a bad place. He was so thankful for the other Marked boy, and it frankly pissed him off how he was treated by those around him.

Yunho had promised himself that he would always protect Yeosang, even if the boy himself was adamant that he shouldn’t. 

Yunho let the sun warm him for a few minutes before heading back into the castle. As usual, he didn’t have much to do, so he made his way to the training ring. Maybe someone would want to spar with him today. 

Once he was on the castle grounds, a servant’s child ran up to him and he stopped abruptly, smiling. The child didn’t smile back.

“Mr. Yunho sir, the Duke sends a message that you should attend the banquet being thrown by the Parks, tomorrow at dawn.” She said, and spun around, scampering off. Yunho sighed. Another public appearance. That meant that his father would parade him around and act like he liked his son. Bastard he may be, but his actual wife had never managed to bear children, so Yunho was his only child. He hated to be reminded of that fact, but he also needed to use Yunho as an example that he was “benevolent”, and “cared even for his bastard child”, so that the other Dukes wouldn’t know his true nature. Of course, nobody outside the castle knew of Yunho’s Mark. Bearing a Scourged child was a shameful event, and was never to be spoken of.

When Yunho got closer to the ring, he winced when he saw Jackson leaving. The older boy hadn’t seen him yet, and Yunho tried to keep his head down, so he wouldn’t be noticed. Jackson happened to look up, though, and a look of fear crossed his eyes before his gaze hardened, and he walked away, moving slightly faster than he was before. Yunho followed his moves with a wistful look in his eyes, thinking of days where the two used to happily banter before their fights.

If only he hadn’t lost control that fateful day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, now it's ACTUALLY up. Had to do some editing after I posted it. Sorry for the confusion!
> 
> Next update: [7-28-19]


	2. How to Fake It

Why did his stupid father insist that they leave at dawn? Yunho rolled out of bed, finally managing to pull himself out of his sleep. Someone had been knocking at his door every five minutes and he swore whoever it was would lose a hand if they knocked one more time. 

He threw on some clothes, ones that his father would consider acceptable for an event such as today. The event was a luncheon banquet, but they had to leave early because the ride to the Parks’ castle was almost five hours by caravan. Yunho wished his father would just let him ride his own horse there later since it would only take three hours tops. Of course, the Duke didn’t want him to attempt to skip out on the event, which he had _tried_ to do countless times before.

The ensemble for the event was larger than usual; this time his father had decided to bring along a few servants to impress the Parks, who were very influential to the king. If his father could do anything, he could really kiss ass. 

Yunho’s eyes lit up when he saw that Yeosang was among the servants who were chosen to accompany them. They were forced to walk, though, and Yunho gave him an apologetic look.

“Ah, Yunho. You’re finally here,” the duke said, venom dripping from his voice. Yunho bit back the sarcastic response he had on the tip of his tongue and simply responded, “Father, I’m sorry I got held up, there were some issues with my wardrobe.” 

“Clearly.” His father stuck his nose up and turned around. Yunho rolled his eyes. His father would be so petty as to insult his clothing, which was perfectly fine. If he was going to hate his son, he should at least do it with class.

One of the servants offered to help him into the carriage that his father had entered. Yunho raised his eyebrow. This must be a very important event if he was allowed to ride in the same carriage as the duke. He politely refused the servant’s help and pulled himself inside.

The ride to the Parks’ was insanely awkward. The duchess was there as well, whom Yunho didn’t acknowledge at all, and in turn, she did the same. There was nowhere to look but outside the large window, and Yunho took advantage of that. He watched the rolling hills pass by and looked longingly at the plantations that dotted the countryside between the two castles. As he saw the owners of the plantations working in their own farms, he wished he had been born into a family that wasn’t royal in the slightest. He wanted to have a family that didn’t parade him around in a caravan of lies. He even dared to wish for a family that loved him.

As he was spacing out, a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He swore he saw something moving at the edge of the forest they were skirting. When he looked closer, it was gone, as if it had never been there.

While he intently searched the forest, Yeosang appeared and waved at him enthusiastically. Yunho smiled and gestured back into the carriage, rolling his eyes. Yeosang nodded, giving a sympathetic look. Yunho shrugged and sent his best friend a heart, who smiled back and returned his own heart. He watched as the head of the servants noticed their exchange and stormed over to Yeosang. He cringed as the man slapped Yeosang across the face, yelling something. He pressed his hand against the glass and when Yeosang looked back, once the leader of the servants had gone back to the head of the caravan, he winked at Yunho. In response, Yunho grimaced and shrank back into the carriage. He didn’t want to get Yeosang in any more trouble. 

He hated this. Hated not being able to speak up and protect his best friend, as he had promised to himself. All he could do was hope that one day they’d have their chance to escape.

\-----------------

As soon as the carriage had arrived at the Parks’ estate, Yunho practically sprinted out of the too-tight cabin. His father and the duchess took their sweet time getting out, and he knew they would do the same for the entire trip. As much as Yunho wanted this to be an in-and-out visit, it would likely take hours, and much longer than just the two allotted on the invitation. Not that he had been _technically_ invited. The only reason the duke brought him to the event was to seem more benevolent to the public. 

Every single event was a political minefield, and if Yunho slipped up even a little, if he let the guests know that he wasn’t the perfect little bastard child who only spoke when spoken to, he’d be severely punished. Maybe it’d be lashings, or maybe a few days in the cells in the basement.

Yunho glanced over at Yeosang quickly, and they met eyes. Yeosang looked tired already, but he smiled widely at the younger anyway, which made Yunho’s heart twinge. He smiled back but looked away quickly before anybody could notice their exchange. 

The procession into the manor started, and Yunho followed the duke. Once they entered, he was immediately bombarded with the thick atmosphere of stiff political exchanges. The lady of the house was there to greet them, and Yunho fought the urge to scowl at her fake happiness. The first words he heard from her mouth were: “Oh, I see you brought the charity case with you. How good of you.” Her voice was dripping in sickly sweet poison. 

“Well, of course. I wouldn’t want him to be a total societal reject. You’ve got to socialize them, you know?” the duke responded, and Yunho forced himself to politely nod as a greeting, acting as if he hadn’t heard the exchange at all. He produced a winning smile from somewhere deep inside him, which thankfully fooled her, and she smiled back.

“Well, I know one of the servants here is looking to get married off, you two might be a good match,” the lady said, and Yunho’s smile dropped a minuscule amount. 

“You’ll have to talk to my father about that, I’m afraid.” He hoped she would forget. It was likely, too, that she was making an empty gesture. Either way, he didn’t want to put the idea of marriage into his father’s head. He’d try to find some poor peasant girl to marry him off, just to get rid of him. 

He prepared himself for the rest of the day to be just as terrible as his first interaction.

\-----

Of course, he was right. He’d had to dodge countless questions already, lying about what he did at the fort, lying about little things his father didn’t want to get out. He was just sick of lying. He’d managed to find a corner to hide in for a while before the luncheon started, but now he was forced to sit near the head of the table, just below his father and the duchess, and within earshot of the Parks. 

Yunho was eating his food and trying not to listen to anyone, but he was pulled out of his trance by the duchess elbowing him so roughly that he was sure it would bruise. He shot a look of unbridled hatred at the duchess, then smiled at the Parks. He wasn’t sure what had been said, but he smoothly answered, “Yes, well it’s all because of my father.” 

The Parks smiled back and Yunho glanced at his father, who nodded almost imperceptibly. He’d said the right thing. He let go of the breath he must have been holding, but the tightness in his chest remained. 

“Yes, well he’s working hard on his fighting, but he’s just not getting there. I’m sure he’ll eventually be an acceptable fighter. The lessons, as well, could be going better. Though he is quite skilled at math when he decides to focus. Nevertheless, I’m proud of him.” Yunho had to choke down a bitter laugh. The look of pride emanating from his father’s face was pride, sure, but it was pride in himself. Pride in finding a way to insult his son but still seem like the understanding father-of-a-bastard to the Parks.

Thankfully his best friend happened to be in the exact right place at the exact right time, filling up a stein of beer for the duke at that very moment. Yunho let himself look at Yeosang, and he managed to cheer him up with a simple look of encouragement. 

The glances they so often shared were the only way they could help each other during the day. If either of them let on how close they really were, the duke would be furious. So they kept their glances of solidarity quick. 

The strength he gained from Yeosang’s glance lasted until dessert. He’d just had a few minutes to dig into what must have been the best cake he’d ever had in his entire life before his father decided to go and fuck it up. 

“Isn’t that right, Yunho-ah?” His father asked him something and he couldn’t stop the anger that bubbled up from inside his chest. How dare he call him by a nickname like that?

“No,” Yunho replied coldly. “For once, I think you’re wrong.”

A tense moment of silence fell over all who had heard Yunho’s remark. 

“Excuse us, I need to discuss an important matter with the young master Yunho,” the duke said, standing abruptly. If the attendees at the end of the table hadn’t heard them, now they had. Yunho stood up, and his chair made an unbearably loud screeching noise. Nevertheless, he held his head high and walked out of the room before his father. They barely made it to the hallway before his father slapped him in the face. Not hard enough to leave a mark, but it stung nevertheless. 

“You despicable child, I should have killed you when I had the chance, sent you with your mother, that whore,” his father hissed, and Yunho narrowed his eyes.

“Well, there goes that lifelong mystery,” Yunho spat, and his father’s eyes darkened.

“One more word out of you and it’s not only you that will get punished. I’ll also find out which servant is your little pet, and I’ll torture him, too.” The words that came from his mouth seemed eerily true, but Yunho couldn’t contain his anger. He took a deep breath and forced himself to keep a level head.

“If I go back into that room, I will not be able to control what is said. I think it’s best for both of us if I leave,” he practically whispered, then turned and stalked away without waiting for his father’s answer.

He stormed out the front of the manor and choked down a yell. The guests might hear him, and he hated it. He felt so stifled, forced to be someone he was not, eating away at his resolve. 

How _dare_ he?

How fucking dare he call Yeosang his pet? Yunho could handle punishments against himself, but the minute Yeosang was in danger, that was unacceptable. 

Not to mention how dare he dehumanize him by calling him an animal? Hadn’t Yeosang already been through enough as it was?

Yunho strode over to where the duke’s carriage was, where the horses were tied. He began untying one of the horses, his movements rough and jarring. He had to rummage through the tack pile left by the servants to find the right saddle and reins. By the time he’d procured the right ones, someone was behind him.

He turned around, expecting his father to have angrily followed him after making some barely-believable excuse to save face, but instead, there was Yeosang, his steadfast friend. A friend who was in danger for being here.

“Yunho, you have to go back,” Yeosang whined. “You’re not thinking this through. Yunho went to put the saddle on the horse, and Yeosang reached out and grabbed his wrist. “You’re going to get hurt if you leave,” he finished.

“I’ll be fine. You, though, are going to get hurt if you stay out here for too long,” Yunho said, gently removing Yeosang’s hand from his wrist. 

“Take me with you, I don’t mind being punished. I’m more worried about you right now,” Yeosang was suddenly determined. 

“No,” Yunho said with finality, his heart aching a little at his friend’s comment. He pushed that feeling away. He couldn’t watch Yeosang get punished for something that was entirely his own fault.

“I’m going anyway,” Yeosang stood firm.

Yunho spun around, looking Yeosang in the eyes.

“I can’t. I can’t watch you get hurt anymore. I’m going home to gather supplies and find the best way to get us out of that hellhole,” Yunho gestured vaguely in the direction of the fort. Yeosang was taken aback by the intensity in Yunho’s gaze, and for a moment, was lost for words.

“Why can’t we just go now, then?” He regained his voice. He was already one hundred percent willing to follow Yunho anywhere. 

“Yeosang,” Yunho said, fighting his urge to just take Yeosang with him right now and run away from everything. “We can’t just leave empty-handed,” he forced out. “Besides, if we leave now, they’ll notice and send guards after us right away,” he reasoned, his confidence in his decision growing. Yeosang looked upset but nodded.

“Fine,” He sighed, defeated. “I’ll make up something to cover you.” 

“Thank you,” Yunho breathed, relieved. “Now get back in there, before someone notices you’re gone.”

Yunho had fully tacked the horse by now. He mounted, watching as Yeosang walked dejectedly back into the Park manor. The elder boy turned back just before entering, and they shared one more look, but this time it was filled not only with apprehension, but for once, hope.

Yunho tapped the horse’s side with his foot and rode off, hoping the ride wouldn’t take long. The sooner he got to the fort, the more time he’d have to prepare. 

\--------

Yunho felt uneasy. 

He wasn’t sure why, but for the last hour or so, he felt like something was about to go wrong. He’d tried to write his uneasiness off as trepidation about his and Yeosang’s upcoming escape, but something told him he was wrong. 

So he’d been extra vigilant, but he was still somehow caught off-guard when it happened. 

He was in a particularly dense section of woods when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He put his hand on the longsword he carried with him. It was more difficult to use on horseback than a cavalry sword, but if he had to use it, it’d do. 

But even with some warning, he didn’t have time to even draw his sword. It was as if he’d blinked and he was suddenly surrounded.

“Dismount and drop your weapon,” a man who looked as if he was around the same age as Yunho commanded, and he groaned inwardly. He wouldn’t usually be worried, but he could count five others in the shadows surrounding him. 

“Who are you?” Yunho asked, not obeying the man, but also not drawing his sword, yet. 

“That’s not important. You have information that we need,” the man said again and Yunho started sizing him up. The boy seemed tall, almost as tall as him. Beside him, the only other assailant he could clearly see was almost comically shorter than the first man. Somehow, he still gave off a “don’t fuck with me” vibe. Maybe because of the eyepatch over his right eye.

“Well,” Yunho said, finally dismounting his horse. “I have some very important plans, so you see, I’m not going anywhere with you.”

The taller man tensed, and the shorter's eyes (or rather, one eye) started to dart around, surveying the area. 

“I’m afraid this can’t wait,” the tall man said determinedly. 

“ _I’m_ afraid it’ll have to,” Yunho said, drawing his sword.

“Don’t say we didn’t warn you,” the shorter man said, drawing his broadsword as well.

Yunho made the first strike but was blocked almost immediately by tall-guy. 

He didn’t let that hold him back, and struck again, but was blocked yet again. He growled and decided to jump back to re-survey the situation, but was accosted by the shorter man, who was lightning fast, despite only being able to see out of one eye at the moment. The man hit him in the ribs with the flat of his blade, and Yunho frowned. If they were bandits, why weren’t they just going to kill him, or at the very least, seriously wound him?

He shook that thought off before he lost his pace. His fighting prowess at the fort didn’t seem to translate in this situation. It was a different style, but so far he’d managed to hold his own.

At least, until now. The shorter fighter seemed to practically dance around him, and Yunho couldn’t believe how fast he was. He got in what must have been seven hits before Yunho could even get his bearings. 

Then, suddenly, the taller one was attacking too. They still weren’t injuring him seriously but they were bruising him, and every hit seemed to knock the breath out of him. He couldn’t catch a break, and before he knew it, he was on his knees, two swords pointed directly at his throat. How had he been bested so easily?

Just as he was about to give in and let himself be kidnapped, Yunho heard hooves galloping towards them. Then a moment later, a rumble started to grow beneath their feet. Yunho took advantage of the surprise and ran a few paces away from the first two attackers only to be stopped by two boys with brightly colored hair. They were both crouched in a fighting stance, one holding two daggers and the other wielding an axe.

As he turned to find another way out, he saw something he never thought he’d see:

Yeosang, riding a horse, looking very focused and very angry. Then the earth moved, and there was suddenly a wall between Yunho and his assailants. A huge gust of very hot wind prevented the others from reaching Yunho, and Yeosang rode up beside him, holding out his hand.

“Have you always been able to do that?!” Yunho exclaimed.

“Not important!!” Yeosang yelled, holding his hand out with more urgency this time. Yunho was about to take it before he was tackled.

“Shit,” he heard Yeosang say while he attempted to shake off the person currently trying to pin him. He finally got the upper hand, if only because he was much taller than the boy that was on him, the purple-haired one.

Yeosang had dismounted and was now busy fighting off a few of the other attackers. They didn’t seem to be hurting him, either. 

Then, a man that Yunho hadn’t seen yet lunged at him, disarming him while he was distracted by the two boys with colored hair. 

Instead of immediately attacking, the man held out his hands.

“Wait, just _listen_ for a second,” he almost pleaded, but Yunho grabbed Yeosang’s wrist and started to run towards their horses, attempting to escape while they still could.

“Ugh, Jongho?” someone yelled.

“On it!” another voice answered. 

They would have made it if they were a split second faster. 

“Sorry,” was the last thing Yunho heard before something (someone?) hit the back of his head and his vision went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah there buddies, sorry it took so long to post! I was supposed to post about an hour and a half ago but my car decided to die on me while I was at work so that was fun. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Next update: [8-4-2019]


	3. How To Make Friends-Knock Them Out and Tie Them Up, Probably?

Yunho’s head hurt. His wrists, too.

He tried to move his hands, but they were tied together, the rope rubbing against his wrists.

What was going on? He remembered leaving the Park’s manor, but after that, everything was fuzzy. He was riding home, and then--

His thoughts were interrupted by two voices whispering, and he started to listen without opening his eyes.

“All I’m saying is that the Marked one is like, really cute,” one voice said dreamily. “I mean, so is the other one.”

“Wooyoung, why would you say that to me of all people?” another voice answered. There was suddenly a soft glow that Yunho could see even with his eyes closed.

Ah, right. He’d been kidnapped. These must be his kidnappers or at least two of them. 

“San, stop being jealous, I can appreciate what someone looks like and still be loyal to you,” the other voice, ‘Wooyoung’ apparently, answered lightly. “Plus, I mean look at his jawline! He’s gorgeous.” 

Yunho assumed they must have been talking about Yeosang. They’d called him ‘the Marked one’, which demonstrated two things. The first: they didn’t know Yunho was Marked. And the second: they hadn’t called Yeosang Scourged, which meant they were sympathizers or they were trying to convince them that they were.

Yunho also noted that he felt a twinge of protectiveness as Wooyoung fawned over Yeosang. 

He finally opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was in a room with a large table in the middle. He couldn't see what was on the table, nor could he stand up to check, as he was tied to a chair. There were several maps on the wall, all having red markings all over them.

A few feet away, Yeosang was slumped over in a chair, tied to it just as he was. There was a bruise developing on his jawline, and Yunho sucked in a small breath. He wanted so badly to see if he was okay, but he couldn’t move. Damn rope.

The two voices he’d heard had in fact been coming from two of his attackers. One of the two had red hair, and the other purple. 

“Look! That one’s awake!” The purple-haired one suddenly realized, pointing to Yunho, who simply glared at him in response. 

“I’ll go get the others,” the red-haired one said, and Yunho watched him jog out of the room. He remained silent, but looked around the room again, looking for the best exit strategy.

A few moments later, the red-haired man came back into the room followed by the rest of the attackers from...was it earlier today? How long had he been passed out?

All but two of the men took a seat at the table facing him and Yeosang. The other two stood in front of him. He recognized them as the first two who had confronted him, the tall one and the short one with an eyepatch. 

“Your friend, what’s his name?” the one with the eyepatch asked him, and Yunho had to restrain himself from spitting in his captor’s face. 

“Why should I tell you?” he said through gritted teeth instead. 

“It looks like we got off on the wrong foot--” 

“Yeah no kidding, you fucking kidnapped us,” Yunho laughed bitterly. 

“Okay, so, yes. _Technically_ we kidnapped you,” the man responded, and one of the men sitting at the table cleared his throat. 

“All we want to know,” the taller man standing next to the one who seemed to be the leader spoke. “Is everything about your companion there.”

“Simple,” Yunho muttered sarcastically. There was no way he was going to tell them anything about Yeosang. “But I’m not telling the likes of you.” 

One of the men at the table stood. 

“Seonghwa,” the leader warned.

“Just--let me talk for a little?” The man, Seonghwa apparently, asked. The leader hesitated for a moment but conceded. 

“We don’t mean you or your friend any harm. We just want to give him a chance. We were _going_ to ask you how to contact him directly and let you go, but then you got all defensive…” Seonghwa said, trailing off.

“Gee, I wonder why?” Yunho asked sarcastically.

“He makes a good point,” the purple-haired man piped up, but quieted unwillingly after the red-haired one elbowed him in the ribs. 

“Anyway, we just want to offer him something, but now we need him to make sure you don’t spill anything if he agrees.” Seonghwa said, looking Yunho up and down. 

“What exactly is it you’re offering?” Yeosang’s voice surprised Yunho, and he sharply turned to face his friend. He’d just woken up, or revealed that he was awake at the very least.

“Are you okay?” Yunho asked, fire in his eyes.

“Fine. My head hurts a lot, though.” Yeosang relayed after surveying the damage.

“Sorry about that,” a voice called casually from the table. Yunho ignored him.

“I’m listening to your ‘offer’,” Yeosang said cautiously.

“So, we haven’t introduced ourselves. I’m Hongjoong,” the leader introduced himself.

“Mingi,” the tall one who had been silent so far grunted.

“San!” the red-haired one introduced. “And Wooyoung,” he added, wrapping his arm around the man he introduced almost possesively.

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong gestured to the second man that had spoken. “And Jongho.” A man, or rather a boy, raised his hand.

“So what?” Yunho snapped. He didn’t understand why he needed to know their names.

“So, we’re all Marked,” the man who’d introduced himself as Mingi said impatiently. 

“Even if that were true, I’m still trying to figure out what you want with us.” Yeosang seemed to be getting annoyed, too. 

“Hongjoong, just tell them,” Seonghwa said softly, and Hongjoong sighed. 

“Fine. We’re the vigilante group you may have heard rumours about. We call ourselves The Scourge.”

“The Scourge? Isn’t that like a self-fulfilling prophecy?” Yunho pointed out dryly, raising his eyebrows. He now had even less reason to believe their story. 

“Ugh!” San groaned. “It’s dramatic irony, why does nobody get it?” 

“I told you we should have gone with, “Gifted” or something, babe.” Wooyoung whispered.

“Not nearly as dramatic,” San sighed, and Wooyoung hit him gently. Yunho frowned. He couldn’t get ahold of the dynamic of the group. Were they lying and just really bad actors? Or were they actually telling the truth? If they really were the vigilante group they’d heard about, what a ragtag team they’d gathered. Then again, they had taken both him and Yeosang down like it was as simple as tea on a Sunday afternoon, so maybe he shouldn’t be so quick to judge. Nor should he be too quick to trust.

“Give me one reason to believe you,” Yunho said, with less venom coating his words this time.

“Okay… The reason we were looking for you is because we were spying on Fort Dumyat. There’s rumored to be an official there who takes part in hunts for the Marked. We saw you and this gentleman--” he inclined his head towards Yeosang.

“Yeosang. My name is Yeosang,” he interrupted.

Yunho looked at his best friend sharply, fear in his eyes.

“Yunho, what Big Bad Thing is going to happen from us telling them our names? I’m just a servant anyway.” Yeosang said, but it didn’t comfort Yunho. Yeosang was starting to believe them, and he wasn’t sure whether they should or not.

“Yes, anyway, we saw you two on the roof yesterday. Specifically, we saw Yeosang using his Gift and decided to tail him. We were hoping to either recruit or relocate him.

We abandoned the mission for now. The well-being of the Marked is our highest priority,” Hongjoong finally finished. 

“Prove it,” Yunho voiced, sitting back as far as his restraints would allow him.

Hongjoong nodded curtly and took off his eyepatch, revealing that while one of his eyes was brown, the other was gold. Like, molten jewelry gold. 

Yeosang sucked a breath in and Yunho glanced at him, slightly more inclined to believe them now. But it wasn’t enough, so he stayed silent. After a few moments, Seonghwa began to step forward but Mingi grabbed his shoulder, preventing him.

“We don’t know if we can trust them with that information,” he warned.

“Let him,” Hongjoong said, looking intently at Mingi. “Call it a good feeling.” Mingi immediately released Seonghwa’s arm, and a silence fell over the room. Seonghwa stepped towards Yunho.

“I’m going to put my hand on your forehead. It won’t hurt you,” he said gently, and Yunho felt the urge to lean into the man’s touch. He resisted, instead simply nodding. Not as if he had a choice, anyway. 

When Seonghwa’s hand touched his forehead, his eyes flashed with white light. He almost panicked, but then images began to float through his mind like memories.

_“We could fight them,” a younger-looking Hongjoong said excitedly, even though he looked like he hadn’t eaten or slept in days. Yunho couldn’t tell exactly where they were, but it didn’t look good, and Yunho swore he saw a rat scamper at their feet somewhere._

_The next words felt as if they came from Yunho himself, except that it wasn’t his voice._

_“Even if we could escape, how would just two of us fight the King and his government?” Seonghwa’s voice asked._

_“We gather more people. I know there are other Marked out there, just as mistreated as us. If we can gather enough of them…”_

_“I still don’t know how you expect us to escape. There are watch towers keeping us here that are manned 24/7. They’re trained to kill us on sight if we’re out of the barracks past curfew. What’s your genius plan?” Seonghwa sounded exasperated._

_“Planning is my specialty,” Hongjoong said, a glint of inspiration in his eye._

Yunho’s vision faded back in. 

“What was that?” he managed to ask. 

“That would be the formation of The Scourge,” Seonghwa answered simply.

“Okay, sure. But how was I seeing it?” Yunho breathed, recalling how clear the image had been. 

“That’s my gift,” Seonghwa explained. “Memory transfer. And to a lesser extent, premonitions. But I can actually control this one.”

Yunho didn’t have any words. He remained quiet for a while and watched as Seonghwa approached Yeosang, and presumably showed him the same memory.

When Yeosang came back to the world of the living, (had Yunho looked that shell-shocked, too?) the two shared a look. Yeosang nodded and Yunho eventually nodded back. 

“We’re willing to think about joining you,” Yeosang declared.

“Woah there, partner, we never said this Yunho could join,” San butted in.

“If he’s not in, I’m not in.” Yeosang said firmly, and Yunho felt his heart swell with affection for the elder. “Plus, he’s Marked, too, so why shouldn’t he be able to join?” Yeosang smirked as the group’s faces all turned to ones of surprise. 

Hongjoong nodded to Mingi and the latter pulled a knife out of one of his boots, advancing towards Yeosang. Yunho felt his heart beat faster for a moment of fear, but then Mingi simply cut the bonds on Yeosang’s wrists and he relaxed.

As Yeosang shook his hands and rubbed his wrists, Yunho’s binds were cut as well, and he immediately went to inspect Yeosang. He pushed back the elder’s hair and saw that the bruise he’d gotten crept from his jawline onto his neck, and Yunho frowned. 

“We’ll stay under two conditions,” Yunho announced suddenly.

“I’m listening,” Hongjoong said. Mingi had taken a seat at the table, but perked up at Yunho’s words.

“One. Yeosang will not be put in unnecessary danger,” he listed, and Yeosang rolled his eyes. 

“I can protect myself, you know,” he mused, but looked a little content to be doted upon. 

“Two,” Yunho continued, ignoring Yeosang. “We can leave at any point.”

Yunho practically held his breath as Hongjoong mulled over the idea.

“Okay,” he finally said, and Yunho let the breath out.

“Whoo!” Wooyoung let out a whoop, and San laughed. “More friends.” 

Not everyone was smiling as much as those two, however. Jongho seemed disgruntled, and Mingi had no reaction at all.

“I have questions,” Yeosang said, and Hongjoong nodded.

“Naturally,” Seonghwa seemed relieved, and Yunho was too. They needed as much information as possible, just in case this was somehow a trap. Yunho was beginning to doubt as such, though.

A few chairs seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Yeosang sat first, and Yunho followed close behind.

“I want to know all your gifts,” Yeosang asked first.

“Well, you already know mine,” Seonghwa was the first to speak.

“I can heal!” San interjected, almost happily. “And I glow, sometimes.” Wooyoung giggled and San scowled at him.

“I can convince people to do things,” Wooyoung answered, dodging San’s glare. “Like, I tell them to do something and they just do it.”

“My gift is survival,” Hongjoong started. “It’s kind of a hard to define gift, but essentially, if something or someone is a threat to my life, I can sense it. That way I’m more prepared when it comes. But, I’m also a battlemaster. Like I said, plans are my specialty.” He winked at Seonghwa.

“How did you even know I used that memory?” Seonghwa griped. 

“Intuition,” Hongjoong responded playfully.

“I wish you’d stop using that answer,” Seonghwa sighed, but he was smiling. 

“I’m the navigator,” Mingi interrupted gruffly. “I know roughly where we are and where we need to be.”

“How does that work?” Yeosang asked, practically in awe. 

“I...just have this tug in my gut I guess,” Mingi elaborated awkwardly. Yeosang nodded, and Mingi visibly relaxed, glad to be out of the spotlight.

“That just leaves Jongho,” Seonghwa pointed out, and Yunho frowned. He’d forgotten Jongho was even there.

“Thanks,” Jongho said dryly. “I was _trying_ to use it just then. I can misdirect attention from or towards anything. Seonghwa has been the only person so far who can see through it. It’s _really_ inconvenient.”

Seonghwa raised his eyebrow, which shut Jongho up. 

“Okay,tell us about The Scourge,” Yunho asked next.

“Well, it’s a long story, I don’t think we have the time…” Hongjoong trailed off. 

“Okay, then just tell me exactly what it is you do.” Yunho was a little exasperated but assumed they felt the same about his question and demands.

“I can do that.” Hongjoong took a deep breath. “Basically, we run missions to undermine the officials who condone poor treatment of the Marked. Our overall goal--and I know this sounds crazy--but we want to overthrow the king.”

Yunho laughed outright.

“Okay, and this is your whole team? What, six people?”

“Well, eight if we can trust you,” San interjected, but he still looked a little embarrassed. 

“We’re more effective than you might expect,” Hongjoong sounded confident, and something in Yunho settled and he nodded. He didn’t want to, but he was starting to trust the man.

“What’s your gift, Yunho?” Jongho asked out of the blue.

“Yeosang’s is elemental, right?” Wooyoung added, leaning forward. “So what’s yours?”

“Well,” Yunho hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he should share this information, but they’d all told what their abilities were. He glanced at Yeosang, who gave him an almost imperceptible nod. Yunho inched closer to him to steel himself, and spoke. “I don’t really know how to define it. I guess I can control energy, but I don’t really know how it works, or what I can do.”

Yeosang gently took his hand under the table, and Yunho couldn’t tell if it was comforting or if it made his heart skip a beat. 

“Why don’t you know?” Hongjoong asked interestedly. 

“I…” Yunho swallowed. They would never trust him if he told them the whole truth now, would they? “I lost control once. I hurt a friend. He never spoke to me again, and I could have killed him…” Yunho left out the fact that he was the son of a Duke with ties to the king, and that he had been forbidden to hone his ability. 

He supposed that on some level, the ban on him using his ability had become a crutch. He didn’t want to use it. So when he didn’t, he could always blame his father. This was something he hadn’t even told Yeosang.

“So you don’t want to hurt anyone by accident?” San asked, almost excitedly, making Yunho frown. “That’s easy! I can help you control it!” he offered, and Yunho was taken aback. This stranger would offer to help him, even when neither parties fully trusted one another? 

“That’s right, San uses energy to heal. Maybe your gifts work in similar ways,” Seonghwa mused thoughtfully. “It’ll be interesting to explo--”

Suddenly Seonghwa’s fist tightened. His eyes glazed over and he slumped in his chair. Hongjoong stood suddenly, putting his hands on Seonghwa’s arms. The elder started muttering something unintelligible, and he rubbed Seonghwa’s arms comfortingly.

“I’m here, you’re safe.” he whispered, and Yunho could just barely hear it. He glanced at Yeosang, who shrugged.

The episode was over in a moment.

When Seonghwa came to, he took a moment to collect himself before he made a statement.

“We need to leave here tomorrow,” he announced. “Trackers from Dumyat will be sweeping these woods sometime in the evening.”

“That means we need to be up bright and early so we can travel far enough away to not get caught in the sweep.” Hongjoong took the news in stride. It was as if the two had telepathy or something.

“I suggest you two get some rest. Jongho really did a number on you this afternoon,” he continued.

“There’s an extra room here, they can share it. You know I haven’t been using it,” Wooyoung declared, smirking. Mingi rolled his eyes at the last part.

“Okay, follow me.” San said, and Yunho didn’t protest. He stood and Yeosang was pulled with him due to their still-linked hands. He hurriedly let go, following San. 

San brought them to a room with two beds. There was no other furniture, and the beds were outfitted with rough-looking rucksacks. San left them alone, and Yunho felt like he could finally relax. He collapsed onto one of the beds, groaning. 

Yeosang sat on the other bed, only a few feet away.

“So, what do you think?” Yunho asked cautiously, rubbing his temples.

“I mean, it’s not like we could go back anyway,” Yeosang mumbled, laying back on the bed. “They honestly might be our best chance. We didn’t get supplies like we planned, but maybe we got protection.”

Yunho simply hummed in response.

“Plus, something in me wants to trust them. Wouldn’t it be like a dream to live like a normal person? Maybe it wouldn’t change right away, but we could at least be closer to normal?” Yeosang had let a little hope creep into his voice.

Yunho nodded. “That would be like a dream.”

Maybe it was a pipe dream, but after so long without hope, Yunho felt himself unwillingly clinging to the tiny shred they’d been given. 

“You’re not very talkative today,” Yeosang stated simply, sitting up once more. 

“Can you blame me? I’m not exactly in a fun mood,” Yunho teased, immediately lightening the heavy atmosphere.

“I guess not,” Yeosang answered, smiling. “You’re not as fun as you used to be.”

Yunho held out his arm, scooting over on his bed. Yeosang immediately obliged, coming to curl into the taller’s side. Yunho sighed. He thought about how angry he’d been today. Usually when he was with Yeosang, he was able to be pretty lighthearted despite their situation.

But today was different.

“I had no idea what was going to happen to us today. I was scared they were going to hurt you, and I wasn’t going to let that happen anymore,” Yunho explained smiling when Yeosang nuzzled his head into his side. “Side note, your gift is that strong and you never told me?”

“I’ve never had to use that much force before. To be honest, I didn’t know I had it in me. But you were surrounded and I--” he stopped as his voice faltered. 

Yunho didn’t ask him to continue. He knew exactly what the elder meant.

He hadn’t meant to fall asleep with Yeosang still curled against his side, but he felt himself drifting off.

“I was scared I might lose you,” he heard Yeosang whisper before he slipped into unconsciousness for the second time that day.


	4. Tension and Travelling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yunho and Yeosang are slowly being integrated into the Scourge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UHHH SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG
> 
> IVE BEEN SO BUSY AND I ONLY JUST MANAGED TO FINISH WRITING IT
> 
> I also got to Korea like 3 days ago and today was my first day off.
> 
> I'll try to be more consistent in updating I'm SO SORRY >.<

Yunho awoke with a start as he heard the loud clangs of metal from somewhere outside the room. It took him a moment to register where he was, and that he was still entangled with Yeosang. He heard the sound that had awoken him once again, this time louder. He untangled himself from Yeosang’s embrace and the latter groaned and opened one of his eyes. Yunho placed a finger to his lips, and Yeosang caught on, suddenly alert. 

Yunho carefully picked up his sword from beside his bed and crept towards the door. The clashing of metal was now constant, and getting closer. He took a deep breath before throwing the door open and drawing his sword.

Only to find himself face to face with a frazzled looking Wooyoung, who was now frozen and holding two pans a few inches apart, Yunho’s blade pointed at his throat.

“What the hell, man?” Yunho whined and sheathed his sword. “Some warning would be appreciated.”

“Sorry!” Wooyoung squeaked, startled. “This is how we always wake each other up, I guess we forgot to tell you.”

A giggle from the doorway behind Yunho startled the two men. 

Yeosang covered his mouth, trying to conceal his laughter.

Wooyoung was the next to laugh, and Yunho joined in, though he only let out a chuckle.

“Sorry I reacted so…” Yunho trailed off, looking flustered. “I guess I’m just still on edge from yesterday.”

“No problem, man.” Wooyoung chuckled. “But now I know pranking you would be hilarious, so watch out.” He then seemed to remember something.

“Oh right, we need to get going!” Wooyoung said, then excused himself to bang his pans together further down the hallway. Yunho rolled his eyes playfully, then turned to face Yeosang, who was beaming. He couldn’t stop himself from hugging the elder boy, who was caught off guard, then returned the hug.

“I haven’t seen you smile like that in a long time,” He mumbled. 

"Shut up, you're being so sentimental all of the sudden," Yeosang acted like he didn't love it.

Yunho pulled away and looked behind Yeosang into the small room that they'd shared. The only belongings they had were on their backs and the bedrolls that had been there when they arrived, but Yunho assumed they would need them.

"May as well pack up the bedrolls since we don't have anything else," Yeosang said what Yunho was thinking. Once they had packed their 'belongings', they trailed back into the room they'd been interrogated in yesterday. They were whisked away outside where their horses were either already tacked, or had been since the day before.

A long day of riding stood before them.

\---

Yunho was tired. Aside from a few five-minute breaks, their little makeshift travel group hadn't rested once. They were long out of the forest by now, but Hongjoong still hadn't given the signal to stop. Yunho was just about to ask if they could stop and eat something when Hongjoong finally slowed down and called out: "Time for lunch!"

Yunho practically melted off his horse and found a nice patch of grass to sit on. They had been following a river for some miles now, and he looked over the valley they'd stopped in. A mountain loomed far in the distance, and he could see the forests dotting the side of it. He didn't know exactly where they were, but as far as he knew that was Mount Skye, and they'd already traveled a full day's worth to the north.

Hongjoong came to sit next to him and beckoned the rest of their party too. They all gathered in a circle, and Seonghwa began distributing apples and some sort of flat, chewy bread that Yunho had never seen before. He took it willingly, though, being unsure when the last time he ate was.

"So, where are we headed now?" Yunho asked, munching on an apple.

Hongjoong smiled slightly.

"Good to know that you're curious," he said, nodding. Yunho suddenly got the feeling that the two of them were being tested more than he'd thought they were.

"We're on our way to Camelon to complete a mission regarding a member of the King's Guard at the stronghold there. He's been kidnapping and torturing Marked people," Hongjoong announced. 

"What exactly are we going to do to him?" Yeosang asked, unsure of their goal.

"We have intel that Choi Hyunjae has been committing treason on the side, selling information to Traean merchants," Seonghwa explained. "We're planting evidence in the stronghold so that he gets convicted and jailed."

Yeosang let out a little breath and relaxed. He was glad they wouldn't be asked to hurt or kill anyone.

"Wait," he paused, his eyebrows creased. "We're infiltrating a stronghold? Can we even pull that off?"

"We have a plan," Mingi said without elaborating. Out of all of the other members of their party, he and Jongho didn't seem to be very open to the idea of the two joining them, and were being standoffish.

"Mingi, you could be nicer," Wooyoung shook his head. "Sorry about him, he's not used to having more people here than usual."

Yunho just nodded. He was glad Wooyoung called Mingi out because he had been wondering if Mingi had some sort of problem with the new members.

"But anyway, we've got a contact in the stronghold that will get us in. Jongho will be our main player in this mission since it is stealth-based, but we'll also be disguised as servants," Hongjoong explained in lieu of Mingi.

"All we really have to do is put our 'evidence' in the records room somewhere easy to find," San said confidently.

"What's the evidence?" Yeosang asked.

"A merchant's goods record, with a blatant entry for a purchase of Choi's information," Seonghwa smiled. "Courtesy of our contact."

"Sounds like an airtight plan," Yunho observed. 

"There's always _something_ that goes wrong," San rolled his eyes.

"But we handle it," Jongho added, sure to defend The Scourge's credibility.

"Normally we'd go in with a small team with a stealth specialty, but we've decided to all come in case you need backup. Camelon's stronghold is heavily guarded, and though we have a way to get in, if we get caught we don't have an exit strategy," Hongjoong seemed like he was in his element when talking about their plan. He wondered where the leader had learned his strategies but deemed it inappropriate to ask right out.

The rest of their little lunch break passed without much of importance being said, though Yunho did spot Seonghwa's Mark: a crescent moon curving around an eye. He'd seen it when the older man had stretched, lifting his shirt up just enough for the Mark to be seen on his hip bone.

Before he knew it, it was already time for their break to be over.

"Alright, guys! It's time to get going. I know this has been a hard day so far, especially for Yunho and Yeosang. We'll get to a campsite in only four more hours, though. So keep it up!" Hongjoong smiled and Yunho felt strangely re-energized.

He pulled himself onto his horse with renewed vigor thanks to Hongjoong's little pep talk. 

But the mood didn't last for long. Yeosang noticed when an hour later, Yunho was slumping in his saddle.

"Are you tired?" He asked, concerned.

"Not physically," Yunho answered with a sigh. "It's just such a long ride with not much mental stimulation. In conclusion, I'm bored and it's making me tired."

It just so happened that Wooyoung had overheard them.

"I'll talk to you," he said, slowing his horse slightly so that the three of them were in a line. "It's no good to be tired. In our line of work, you've gotta stay alert." 

"Work," San scoffed. "Like it's a job."

"Do you do anything else with your life, San?" Jongho asked from behind them dryly.

"Okay, fine. Work," San conceded easily.

"I mean, it is work," Wooyoung continued, ignoring the exchange between his two friends. "We don't technically get paid, but that's irrelevant."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure getting paid is a requirement for something to be a job," Yunho chuckled.

"Touché," Wooyoung said, narrowing his eyes playfully. "Is it getting paid if we steal from our targets when necessary?"

"Like a steal from the rich, give to the poor kind of situation?" Yunho asked, intrigued.

"More like, steal from the Marked abusers and use that money to further our cause…" Wooyoung mused.

"I think it's justified, then," Yeosang announced, and Yunho nodded slowly. "I mean, really, do those people need the money if they're in jail?" 

"It's kind of a moral grey area, but we do what we need to survive," San murmured in a surprisingly wise turn of events.

There was a moment of silence, then Yunho remembered something he'd been wondering for a while now. 

"So, I was actually wondering something about you two," Yunho asked. "The hair...is it dyed?" 

Yunho had seen tribesmen from Trae who dyed locks of their hair, but he'd never seen someone from Eritrea with their hair dyed.

"Actually, our hair is our mark," San said, perking up.

"Really? I've never seen one like that," Yunho said, smiling. "It looks great, though."

"Yeah, that's kind of how we found each other," Wooyoung interjected, his lips curved up in a small smile.

Yunho was intrigued but didn't want to pry. Instead, he just tilted his head slightly, waiting to see if either of them would elaborate.

"So…" Wooyoung cleared his throat, seeming nervous but determined. "I used to live on the streets in Astoria." 

Yunho nodded. He knew many Marked ended up being thrown out of their homes to avoid the shame of having a Marked child. He also knew that Astoria was one of the largest port cities in Eritrea. 

"It was hard. I was so easily recognizable as Marked because of my hair, so I had to get most of my food from stealing or fishing," Wooyoung continued. Yunho happened to glance at San, and it seemed as if the red-haired man was holding back tears. "I had been living homeless for years when San finally came to Astoria."

Wooyoung paused, and San picked up the story. 

"I was also sort of homeless. I'd been traveling with a group of people who found me useful only for my healing skills."

"Travelling," Wooyoung scoffed. "More like being towed along as a slave." 

"Yes, well, I suppose," San swallowed. "Anyway, the group I was with was staying in the city for a few days. I spotted Wooyoungie one day, but I was with the group. The next day I snuck away from them to find him."

"We met several days in a row, and when it was time for him to leave, I begged him to stay," Wooyoung blushed. "He was the only person who had talked to me like a human in years."

"We've been together ever since," San said, looking at Wooyoung fondly.

"Like, together together?" Yunho couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Yes, is that a problem?" San was suddenly defensive.

Yunho burst out laughing, and San just looked at him, affronted and confused. His fingertips began to glow an otherworldly blue. 

"No, no that's totally fine," Yunho finally managed to say, still chuckling slightly. He didn't feel the need to explain why he was laughing, but Wooyoung said something next that caught him off guard. 

"So then, you and Yeosang are together, too?" 

Yunho stopped laughing, shocked. He had no response to that, and instead just looked at Yeosang, who looked just as surprised as him.

"Uhhh, no?" Yeosang said, but he didn't seem too confident.

"Oh. Oh?" Wooyoung said, raising one eyebrow, intrigued by their reaction. Yunho coughed and frantically tried to come up with something to distract from the current topic.

"Uh, so when did you get involved with the Scourge?"

San paused for a beat, then answered.

"They found us, actually. Well, back then it wasn't called the Scourge, it was just Hongjoong and Seonghwa," he explained.

"Stop!" 

A command came from the front of their little train, cutting their conversation short. 

Yunho looked forward to seeing they were crossing paths with another group of travelers. Hongjoong was already talking with one of the travelers. There were five of them, all men, and all dressed in thick leather armor.

San leaned over to Yunho and whispered: "We have to be wary. Who knows what they want?"

Yunho nodded and took inventory of the weapons he could see. One of the travelers held a full-on flail, and Yunho swallowed. Anyone strong enough to wield a giant spike-laden steel ball on a chain should be feared.

He watched nervously as Hongjoong spoke to the man with the flail. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he could feel the tension in the air even from where he was.

It was only moments before Hongjoong looked up, beckoning Mingi over to the two.

"Something's wrong," Wooyoung suddenly seemed tense.

Yunho was unsure what exactly had clued Wooyoung into something being wrong, but he saw Mingi become tense as well. He sat up in his saddle and tightened his grip on his sword, still safely sheathed. 

Before Yunho could even properly prepare himself, the man in the front reached for his sword. 

In a flash, Mingi and Hongjoong’s weapons were drawn and pointed at the offending group. The latter wasn’t as quick, but they drew their weapons as well. What was left of the Scourge dismounted beside Yunho and Yeosang, who followed quickly. 

“Listen, we don’t want any trouble. We could just say we never saw anyone.” Hongjoong tried to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand, but the man who seemed to be their enemy’s leader did not back down. 

“Fine,” Hongjoong sighed. He twitched his blade and suddenly there was a whirlwind of motion. Mingi clashed swords with one of the men, and Yunho watched in awe as Hongjoong and the man wielding a flail circled each other. As the man twirled the flail, Hoongjoong darted behind him somehow and managed to slash the back of the man’s arm. Not a fatal wound, but debilitating nonetheless.

Not wanting to waste another second, Yunho dove into the battle. Jongho was holding his own against one of the larger men, so instead, he moved to help Seonghwa, who only visibly wielded a whip. The man they were against was smaller than the others but was light on his feet. Yunho waited for Seonghwa to attack first, and his whip caught the ankle of the man, who grunted. Yunho took that opportunity to strike with a slash and managed to carve a deep wound into his forearm. 

“Wound, don’t kill,” Seonghwa panted once they’d both retreated a few steps. They both lunged at the same time, and Yunho found that they worked together quite well. Seonghwa somehow managed to disarm the man, and Yunho struck the back of his thigh, felling him. Jongho appeared out of nowhere, knocking the man out. Apparently, he’d already taken care of the man he’d been wrestling with. Yunho looked to the last flurries of movements, watching as San managed to knock out one of the men with the hilt of his dagger.

Yeosang had been helping him, and Yunho saw the dust settling around him. The sunlight filtering through the dust and the sweat on his brow made him look ethereal.

He shook his head, looking anywhere but at Yeosang. 

The men that had confronted them were all knocked out, some bleeding slightly, but all were breathing. 

How they had managed to take out this many men this quickly was a mystery to Yunho, but everyone else looked annoyed. 

“They just had to fight us,” Mingi sighed, rolling his eyes. 

“That--” Yeosang started, drawing Yunho’s eyes back to him. “That was fast.”

“They were never really a threat,” Jongho just shrugged, slinging his axe back over his shoulder.

Yunho just raised his eyebrow.

“They’re all fine, no big injuries. Just the usual,” San said after inspecting each man. 

“We need to hide them so they’re out of sight until they come to,” Seonghwa explained.

They began to carry the men towards the edge of the forest. They all paired up to carry one man besides Jongho, who managed to carry one man over his shoulder without much effort. 

Once they were done, Hongjoong beckoned Yunho and Yeosang.

“That should have shown you, but we need to be aware at all times. That was a quick battle, but something could go wrong next time. You need to be able to stand your ground.

The two men just nodded, their faces twisted in determination. 

After a few minutes of San checking them over to make sure nobody had injuries, they got back on their horses without a scratch. 

Yunho was now determined to find his place in their team.


	5. Yunho Learns A Lesson

The next day seemed to drag on for far longer than it needed to. Hongjoong had insisted that Yunho and Yeosang sparred with other members of The Scourge, even though they were already exhausted. Yunho had been extremely reluctant to spar with his partner, not only because of the pain in muscles he didn’t even know he had; but also because his partner had happened to be Mingi.

Yunho couldn’t grasp what Mingi’s personality was. He was almost always silent in the group, only speaking when spoken to or when he had something of interest to share in relation to his navigational gift. Yunho had even caught him throwing disdainful glances at the two newcomers, but they were short and seemed more distrustful than driven by hate. 

He couldn’t blame the man; after all, he’d probably taken to trusting The Scourge far more quickly than he should have. So why should he expect them to trust him in return?

The only other member that seemed to not trust them fully was Jongho. The youngest of the group, he wasn’t quite as standoffish as Mingi was, but his distrust was apparent in his actions. He would try to sit apart from them at their meals, the little they were allotted. Often, across their temporary campsites, Yunho would feel as if they were being watched, and something in his gut told him that it was Jongho, even if the youngest seemed to be friendly enough. 

Sometimes, Yunho would feel more than just Jongho’s eyes burning on his back. Despite escaping his father’s burning eyes of judgment, he was still subject to the calculating (though never unkind) eyes of Hongjoong. He hoped that once they reached their destination, once they were able to complete the next mission, he and Yeosang would be accepted into their ranks, and he would no longer feel on edge and eager to please. He was far too familiar with that feeling, and he hadn’t liked what it had done to him in the past. 

Yeosang could feel the eyes of their traveling companions as well. They had begun discussing it in hushed voices while riding that morning. 

“Of course I can feel it,” Yeosang had responded, after ensuring nobody could hear them. “But there’s nothing we can do about it right now.”

“You’re right,” Yunho sighed softly. “We’ll just have to prove we’re trustworthy on the first mission.”

After a few beats of silence, Yeosang spoke up again.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said hesitantly. “Why should we be so eager to please them, when they don’t even trust us. I know this must be complicated for you...given your track record.” Yeosang left the subtext unspoken, but Yunho felt a surge of affection for the younger, who always knew what he was feeling. 

Yeosang knew that Yunho was having trouble trusting them, and they were doing the same in return. He also knew that Yunho was inclined to begin trusting them. Yunho wasn’t sure, however, if Yeosang knew his deeper predicament. Was his eagerness to be accepted clouding his judgment of The Scourge? Or was his gut feeling right? 

Yeosang was privy to and respected Yunho’s reservations, but he had no qualms with trusting their newfound companions. Living his life with no shield from the prejudice people acted with toward the Marked had made him a remarkably accurate judge of character. He could tell these men were to be trusted. He just wasn’t sure how the two of them would fit in with their group. They already seemed to have a pretty strong group identity, complete with inside jokes and unspoken commands that he did not yet understand.

So Yeosang questioned their ability to fit in. Neither of them were particularly blessed in the ‘making friends’ skillset. Neither had had much practice other than with each other and the few friends Yunho had made before he became feared throughout Fort Dumyat, though most didn’t even know why they feared him. 

Yeosang had never let on how much the blind fear of his best friend had angered him. Yunho was such a happy go lucky person, especially considering his circumstances. He found the good in most situations, and Yeosang had never understood how people could hate him, even knowing that he was Marked. Perhaps that was him being biased as a friend and as a Marked-but he may never know. 

Yunho had been spacing off for longer than he cared to admit when suddenly his horse stopped. He looked up and San’s horse, just ahead of him, had stopped as well. In the front of the group, Hongjoong had just crested a hill, and as the group slowly gathered at the trailhead, Yunho saw it. 

In the distance on the far end of a lake of glittering blue, stood a city. Yunho had never seen anything like it. He’d been taken to nearby cities for pointless parades and banquets, but he wasn’t often taken far outside of the Dumyat region. They had been traveling for three days now, and that marked the farthest he’d been on horseback. He’d heard of Camelon before, but he never knew it would be this beautiful. A wall of stone surrounded the city, causing only the tallest buildings from this distance. Among them, one building in particular stood out. It was a huge, twisted spike on the horizon that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, almost as if it was made of glass or crystal. The pure blue from the lake reflected on one of its sides, making it appear blue itself. 

“Welcome to Camelon,” Seonghwa said, smiling knowingly, but with a tinge of sadness at Yunho and Yeosang’s awestruck looks. 

“What is-”

“The Spire?” Wooyoung interrupted, slightly grim. “It’s where the King comes to visit. He has buildings like this in all the big cities, in case he ever comes on business. It’s rare though, nowadays.”

“What is it made out of?” Yeosang asked, managing to pull his eyes away from the view. 

“Almost entirely glass,” Mingi said, and Yunho looked at him, surprised. He never expected Mingi to talk, so when he did, it always shocked him a little.

“Gods, how long did that take? How much manpower--how much money?” Yeosang asked. To make a building that tall-all out of glass? It was entirely unheard of. 

“Far too long, and with far too much ‘free’ Marked labor,” Hongjoong said, scowling. “Sure, it’s beautiful. But at what cost?”

Yunho shut his mouth, finally realizing the gravity.

“They used Marked slaves to build it?” 

“Yes,” Hongjoong continued, sighing. “They finished it last year. It was too big an effort for us to put a stop to it, not without being caught.” 

The rest of The Scourge looked at the ground dejectedly.

“There’s only so much we can do, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa comforted the smaller man and managed somehow to pat him on the shoulder from his horse. Hongjoong seemed to lean into his touch for just a millisecond too long, then he straightened, and Seonghwa’s hand fell from his shoulder.

“It looks close, but it’ll be another 2 hours on horseback. We have plenty of time, but we should stop for food before we go for too much longer,” Hongjoong said and gestured to the area beside the road that they were on.

They all took the message and dismounted, tying their horses together as there were no trees around. The group collectively started to get their food out and sat down. 

Yunho scarfed down his lunch quickly, eager to get to the city and explore, but everyone else seemed content to take their time and look at the view. 

After a while, he was too fidgety to even sit, so he excused himself and walked to the highest point of the hill. He breathed in the air, which felt a little crisper than it had in the days prior. Perhaps fall was coming, or perhaps it was the wind from the lake, he couldn’t tell. 

“Restless?” A voice from behind him asked, making him jump. “You know, you should really pay more attention to your surroundings. These are tough times.”

Yunho turned around to see San behind him, and he released the tension in his body. 

“Yeah,” Yunho responded to the red-haired man’s original question. “I’ve never really been to a big city. It’s my first time this far away from Dumyat.”

“And you’re excited?” San smiled knowingly.

“Gods, yes! I feel like I could take down an army single-handedly!” Yunho joked. “I mean, not really. I’m just a little jittery.”

“It’s good you’re getting used to riding on horseback, then,” San said, raising one eyebrow mischievously. “You’ll have to start regularly training with both me and Mingi once you’re accustomed to traveling.”

“Oh, no,” Yunho groaned apprehensively. “I assume you won't be going easy on me at all?”

“Well, I don’t think training with me will be too tiring. It’ll mostly just be us sitting, talking, and focusing. And maybe a little stretching,” San said cheerfully, and Yunho relaxed. “But Mingi, on the other hand, he won’t hold back even a little. The fact that you held your own for as long as you did in a fight against both him and Hongjoong,” -- San looked genuinely impressed here -- “That gives him a reason to believe that you have potential.” 

“That’s not a good omen for me, though, is it?” Yunho grimaced.

“Yeah I’m gonna say no. He’ll beat the shit out of you,” San grinned. “But I know you can take it. Plus the practice with me will give you an edge. His gift doesn’t help him at all in combat.”

“I’ll take that as a plus,” Yunho said, choosing to look at this in a positive light. He was used to training every day back at the fortress, but for the rest of his day, he’d be lounging around or talking to servants, or Yeosang. Now, they were traveling, and hard. He wasn’t used to the physical demand. He knew it would come with time, and he could already feel himself slowly becoming accustomed to it. 

“Any chance you wanna give me a quick advance lesson so I can get that edge on Mingi before he beats me to a pulp the first time? Maybe it’ll make it less painful,” Yunho looked at San hopefully, giving his best puppy dog eyes (which he was an absolute pro at).

“Fine, but you probably won’t thank me,” San said exasperatedly, giving into the puppy dog eyes much more quickly than Yeosang usually did. “Because lesson one is meditation.” 

“You’re fucking kidding me,” Yunho groaned. “All this energy and you’re gonna make me meditate?”

“Yep,” San said, finding a nice place on the ground and sitting down cross-legged. 

Yunho followed reluctantly, sitting cross-legged as well, which was extremely uncomfortable. 

“You can sit however you want. This meditation isn’t so much about obedience and form,” San said, noticing that Yunho didn’t look comfortable in his position. “For this mediation, you need to be able to focus on everything _but_ your body. So you must be as comfortable as possible.

Yunho gave a shrug, as if to say “if you say so”, and laid down flat on the grass, spreading his arms out and smiling.

“That works I guess,” San chuckled. “Okay. Now, I want you to close your eyes and just observe. I want you to focus on everything around you except outside thoughts. 

Feel the breeze on your skin. Feel the grass tickle your hands. Smell the fresh air from the lake. Hear the chirping of the birds. Any tiny rustle, I want you to notice it.” 

Yunho crinkled his eyebrows together and tried to focus on everything at once. It seemed like an impossible task, and at first, it seemed to not be working at all.

He could feel the breeze on his skin, but it reminded him of how close they were to a city--how soon, he’d be in the walls of this beautiful and unknown city, and that he’d get to be there with Yeosang, his best friend in the whole world. They had managed to escape his father. They were going to help make a difference in the world. They didn’t have to hide who they really were anymore. They could have friends, _real_ friends. Perhaps friends that they would come to love.

“Yunho, you’re not focused. I can see your eyes moving behind your eyelids,” San interrupted his train of thought.

“Doesn’t that mean you’re not focused either?” Yunho mumbled but tried to focus anyway. 

He could feel the grass tickle his hands. It felt nice. Wait, was that a bug? Should he put on gloves? He didn’t like bugs. He’d deal with them only if necessary, but Yeosang had seen Yunho absolutely screech when he came in contact with a medium-sized beetle.

All it took this time was for San to make a noise of disappointment, and Yunho refocused. 

Okay. The fresh air from the lake. He opened his mouth and breathed the air, seeing if it tasted any different. To his surprise, it did. He couldn’t explain it, but the taste of the lake air was better than anything he’d ever breathed.

Next he heard the chirping of the birds. As it was mid-afternoon, the birds were out and about. They all had something to say, and Yunho began to categorize the different sound types. There were some that were low and warbly, and others that were high and melodic. He was focused so hard on the sounds of the birds chirping that when he suddenly heard a loud shifting noise, he gasped. 

“What was that?” He asked, and San smiled.

“That was my horse shifting her weight,” San said, and Yunho could tell he was smiling even though his eyes were still closed. 

“But--she’s so far away!” 

“That’s the power of meditation, Yunho,” San explained. “If you go deep enough into a meditative state, your senses are extremely heightened. I’d assume that for you, it came much more quickly than for most.”

“Why?” Yunho asked, sitting up. 

“It must have something to do with your Gift,” San mused, not entirely sure himself. “Perhaps you were manipulating your own energy to heighten your senses, but you have no grasp on how to control this energy, so you didn’t realize you were doing it-- Ah!” San said, interrupting his own thought. “I want to try something. Lay back down, if you would. Go back to the state you were in, and focus on the horse. Try to hear her breathing, and breathe with her. I’ll tell you what to do once you can do that.”

Yunho obliged, laying back down and listening to the birds again. He found that it was far easier for him to focus this time, as he was very intrigued by what exactly San was going to have him do. 

Once he felt adequately meditative, Yunho shifted his attention to the horse. He could definitely hear her breathing now, even though she was a fair distance away. He matched his breath to hers. 

“Okay,” San whispered, not wanting to break Yunho’s concentration. “Now, try to feel the energy that burns through her.”

Yunho thought that was a little far fetched, but he tried nonetheless. He felt each breath of the horse, and could hear every time she moved. 

He had almost gotten bored after five whole minutes of listening to a horse breathe with no results, but then he felt something. He could feel a warmth, not in his body, but in his mind. It was like a light. It was burning brighter than anything around him, but after this, he started to feel a warmth much closer to him. It was weaker than the first one, but still very strong.

He couldn’t make sense of this by himself, so he decided it was time to ask San.

“What is that?” Yunho asked, sitting up with some difficulty.

“Everyone experiences meditation differently, you’ll have to explain to me what you felt,” San explained, curious himself.

“There was this warmth in my mind. It was a little light, too; like a candle flame. One of them was really strong, but another one was closer, but not as warm or bright.” Yunho attempted to explain.

San sat and contemplated Yunho’s information for a while, then smiled. “You can envision the energy, not just feel it!” he said excitedly. 

“What does that mean?” Yunho inquired, cocking his head in confusion.

“That first light, or warmth, or however you want to say it--that was my horse. She’s stronger than me, bigger than me, she has more energy in her body than I do,” San said, speaking so quickly it was a wonder he didn’t trip over his words. “The second light was me! You can visualize the energies of every living thing around you! This is remarkable. With enough practice, you _should_ be able to feel the energy of things as small as ants- or even grass! Maybe one day you’ll even be able to harness it--”

San’s rambling was cut off by an annoyed Hongjoong calling from where they had left the rest of The Scourge.

“San, it’s been an hour! We have time, but not _that_ much time!” He called, and San and Yunho got up, brushing the grass of their pants.

“Hey, San?” Yunho said, grabbing the man’s wrist gently to stop him from going back yet. “Does Mingi...hate us?”

San’s face was blank for just a second before his eyes warmed. “No, Mingi is just...a bit distant. He’ll warm up to you. And he may go hard on you in practice, but don’t take it personally. The harder he trains you, the more he cares.” Yunho sighed and nodded, relieved. 

“SAN!” Hongjoong was getting more impatient by the second, so the two men sheepishly returned to the rest of their group. Wooyoung immediately attached himself to San, as if the hour that they’d been apart had drained him of his life force. 

As they all packed up and began mounting their horses, Yeosang sidled up to him, not yet mounted on his horse.

“What was that all about?” He asked, looking a little miffed that he hadn’t been invited.

“Just a pre-training lesson in meditation,” Yunho said, ruffling Yeosang’s hair as he pouted. “Nothing too interesting.” Yeosang rolled his eyes and Yunho looked at him affectionately. “Fine, I’ll make sure you get some training next time, too.” Yeosang finally smiled and walked away with a new bounce in his step. 

“And we’re off to Camelon,” Yunho muttered under his breath to Yeosang, mounting his horse finally. He was the last on his horse, so once he was ready, they started to make their way towards the city with the glittering skyline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ya'll. I'm back. 
> 
> It took me a whole semester because of the following:  
> A) I was out drinking a lot with my friends and enjoying my time in Korea  
> B) The more prominent reason - My laptop was broken all semester and I was not fluent enough in Korean to take it somewhere to get it fixed
> 
> Anyway. Here's a chapter. Sorry it took like 5 months, but I'd never abandon a work. I'd like to update biweekly if possible, but I'll let you guys know for sure.


	6. A Small Mishap

It took them two hours to get to the gates of Camelon, but after traveling the length of the Apriori region, it seemed to pass in minutes. 

When the gate of the city seemed to be close enough to touch, metaphorically, of course, Hongjoong seemed to slow down. He began speaking in hushed tones to Seonghwa, and Yunho’s brow wrinkled. He looked up to the gates and saw around eight guards. 

“What’s going on?” Yunho asked whoever was nearest, who happened to be Mingi.  
“There are more guards than usual…” he said, his head tilting. Yunho was honestly surprised that Mingi even answered him, usually Mingi didn’t even think about engaging with the newcomers. 

“What does that mean for us?” Yunho carefully asked. He didn’t want to deter Mingi from speaking with him in the future. 

“Well, they look like they’re checking papers. For us, that’s fine, we aren’t suspicious enough. But you two...escaped servants can’t generally get into cities like this.” Mingi explained in the longest string of words Yunho had ever heard from him. It hit Yunho that the Scourge still didn’t know that he wasn’t a servant. 

He had his identification on him, but if he used it, he’d be made, and lose some trust with his newfound ‘protection’ that was the Scourge. He looked over at Mingi, not wanting to ruin the first time Mingi had actually spoken to him for more than a few sentences. He would have to use his identification. He looked over at Yeosang with a crease in his brow. Yeosang seemed to be just as concerned.

“Hey, don’t worry about it too much,” Mingi said stiffly. “They’ll take care of it.” He patted Yunho’s arm awkwardly from the back of his horse, and Yunho smiled slightly. He knew there were only a few ways this could play out. Option one: Yunho uses his identification to get into the city and the Scourge abandons them. Option two: He doesn’t use his identification and tries to sneakily get into the city and risks the Scourge being caught. Or option three: He uses his identification and the trust he has built with the Scourge so far will all be for naught. 

Yunho didn’t know how to react. He nodded halfheartedly to Mingi, and moved over to where Yeosang’s horse was standing.

“Can we risk it?” Yunho asked Yeosang under his breath. “I mean, if we don’t, they’re going to launch an elaborate plan to get us into the city, and they might get caught. Later on, they might not trust us when they find out the truth.” 

“I know, it’s risky. But we shouldn’t let them get caught. Maybe it’s better that they find out now, anyway.” Yeosang sighed.

“Listen, if they try to throw me out, I’ll make sure they let you stay, okay?” Yunho said, mindlessly grabbing Yeosang’s wrist. 

“No!” Yeosang whispered with intensity. “We said we’d escape together, so we’re staying together. I’m not going to leave you.” The intensity in his eyes burned through Yunho, and he almost blushed. 

After a moment of silence, Yunho sighed. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. It’ll be hard out here with no protection, and we’re still a week or more from the border.” 

“I know what I’m saying,” Yeosang said, twisting his hand to grasp Yunho’s briefly, then letting go. 

Yunho took a deep breath before finally setting his jaw and walking to the front of their group. Wooyoung and San gave him a confused look, but he simply marched past. 

“Hongjoong, Seonghwa. I have something to tell you,” Yunho said. The only thing he could do to soften the blow that would be their mistrust is to tell them outright.

“It can wait, we have other problems right now,” Hongjoong said, gesturing to the guards waiting for them at the gate. 

“Actually, it’s about that,” Yunho said, almost losing his confidence. “I’m not a servant. Or, I wasn’t.”

The two eldest and leaders of the Scourge raised their eyebrows, inviting the younger man to continue his story. Yunho took one last stabilizing breath.

“Yeosang is a servant, but I am the son of the Duke that rules Fort Dumyat and its surrounding lands.” 

“You...you’re what?” Hongjoong spluttered. Yunho couldn’t help but feel proud of his ability to hide his true identity, but it was overshadowed by the disappointment he saw in Seonghwa’s eyes.

“Why wouldn’t you tell us?” The taller man asked suspiciously. 

“Well, you would have thrown me out if I told you in the beginning. And then there was never a right time. No time like the present, though. I can get Yeosang and I into the city with no problem,” Yunho finished, trying to sound authoritative, but also respectful. 

There was a short silence. Yunho tried not to feel too nervous. He didn’t know these people very well yet, but he had begun to trust them, and betraying them already felt quite wrong. If they decided he and Yeosang were no longer welcome, he would have to leave with Yeosang and get out of the country as quickly as possible. 

The look on Hongjoong’s face caused Yunho’s stomach to drop. He seemed to look directly into Yunho’s soul, and it felt as if he were being dissected. His eyes slid over to Seonghwa’s face, hoping desperately that the eldest would understand, but he seemed to be just as calculating as Hongjoong’s.

While waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Yunho felt someone’s hand on his wrist. He looked back to see Yeosang, whose face was set in determination. Yunho was grateful for his touch and had to resist melting into Yeosang’s arms.

“I’m glad you’ve shared this information with me,” Hongjoong said, slightly tense. Yunho’s heart sped up in anticipation. “You forget that we can utilize Wooyoung’s unique talents in this situation.”

Yunho wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or worried. What was Hongjoong thinking? What was everyone thinking??

He didn’t have time to mull it over, though, as Seonghwa cut in.

“We don’t have time to discuss this right now--we look pretty suspicious just standing outside the city,” Seonghwa said to nobody in particular.

“Wooyoung. Convince the guards to forget they ever saw us here,” Hongjoong commanded, turning around. He looked over his shoulder at Yunho, and his emotions were finally readable, but it was not the reaction that Yunho wanted to see. His eyes were determined, but tinged with a soft disappointment that hurt more than the anger that Yunho had been prepared for. “They’ll be searching for you, so we can’t let any witnesses see you in the city. Lay low.” His voice darkened in warning with his last thought. 

Wooyoung tapped his horse, riding up to the collection of guards. The rest followed him, attempting to appear like a normal group of travelers. San was following closely behind Wooyoung.

“Excuse me,” Wooyoung said in an innocent voice, once within the hearing range of the guards. He dismounted, and San followed suit. Wooyoung’s innocent appearance and vibrant purple hair drew all attention to him, just how he liked it. “My friends and I were traveling along the Aqua Vitae, and our packs got washed away in high tide. We haven’t replaced our papers yet, and need to get into Camelon to do so.” Wooyoung appeared very distressed. His words were very convincing, even though it wouldn’t be a good excuse. Yunho felt the urge to rip the door open himself and let them pass, but he held himself back. Was this how powerful Wooyoung’s ability was?

The guards stood still for just a moment, their eyes blank and glazed over. Eventually, the guard closest to the door opened it and gestured the group through. Wooyoung stepped aside, waiting until everyone was inside city limits before he turned around. Yunho couldn’t see his face, but the intensity of his words was easily understood. 

“Do me a favor, and forget you ever saw us?” He said sweetly, leading his horse through the door. The guards blinked and nodded, and even a few people on the inside of the city limits nodded in response. Yunho was appalled. He had no idea how strong Wooyoung’s ability was. He wondered if everyone in the Scourge’s abilities were that strong.

The rest of their ride was silent. Yunho tried to take in the scents, sounds, and views of the bustling city, but he couldn’t focus for long enough. In the back of his mind, he could only convince himself that he had just ruined their chances of survival. There was no way he and Yeosang could get to the border of Eritrea without getting caught, not without the help of the Scourge. 

It seemed like an hour before anything happened. They rode in silence through cobbled streets, the only sounds coming from the people strolling through the cities. The loudest parts were the streets that had markets, with children and stray dogs running around. The scent of colorful spices decoratively piled high on plates hit Yunho’s nose, and he allowed himself a moment to appreciate his surroundings. The people here were mostly Eritrean, but what made that obvious were the groups of Traean merchants. Their wagons were parked on corners, and their appearance was the most striking. Most Traean people had very dark skin but were blessed with blue and green eyes. This made their people very beautiful, and Yunho had never seen anything like it. Many of these merchants also had long hair with streaks of vibrant colors. Yunho had learned in his infrequent lessons that the Traeans seen in Eritrea were mostly merchants and that they dyed their hair with the vibrant berries that grew in their vast plains. Yunho was used to the forests and mountains of Stirling, the province where he had been raised. Though Eritrea’s northern lands were quite level, he had never been that far North. He wondered what it would be like to live in Traea. 

That thought brought him back to reality. He and Yeosang may very well have to flee to Traea if the Scourge decided his secret was worth abandoning them. 

While Yunho had been lost in his thoughts, Hongjoong and Seonghwa halted at the front of the group. Yunho looked up, startled. They had reached an inn, though it was very haphazardly maintained. He followed suit as the Scourge tied their horses to a nearby post. They silently filed in through the front door, carrying their packs and essentials.

“Hongjoong, Seonghwa!” An Eritrean man stood behind the counter of the empty inn. Everyone save Yunho and Yeosang smiled at him. He had curly black hair and a friendly smile.

“Jinyoung!” Wooyoung squealed, launching himself at the clearly older man. Jinyoung chuckled, embracing the younger man.

“I wasn’t expecting you for a few days yet,” The man mused. He noticed San begin to faintly glow when Wooyoung didn’t immediately detach from him and peeled away. San immediately stopped glowing and hugged Wooyoung from behind.

“The mission was postponed,” Hongjoong explained, gesturing vaguely to Yunho and Yeosang, and rolling his eyes fondly at San and Wooyoung.

“I see,” Jinyoung said, looking over the two newcomers. “Qi manipulation and an elemental. Very powerful. I understand your reasoning.”

“I- I don’t understand. How does he know about us?” Yunho said, speaking up for the first time since he revealed his secret. Everyone but Yeosang and Jinyoung looked at him scathingly, finally able to show their distrust and hurt. But Seonghwa still answered him, giving him some semblance of comfort.

“Jinyoung is our informant. He’s like the sponsor of the Scourge,” Seonghwa explained. “His gift lets him see the abilities of other Marked people.”

“Qi manipulation?” San said, interestedly. 

“Yes, the tall one, sorry what was your name?” Jinyoung inquired politely.

“Jeong Yunho.” 

“Yunho here can manipulate qi. It’s a very powerful and rare ability. Not to mention an elemental. I can feel a lot of untapped power from both of them.”

The heaviness of the room suddenly felt suffocating, and Yunho sighed.

“Where can I take a rest?” He was the first to speak. He couldn’t handle this atmosphere anymore. 

“Let me show you,” Jinyoung offered. Yunho followed him to a door labeled “12”, Yeosang trailing close behind, and was handed a key. 

Yunho thanked Jinyoung before unlocking the room and padding over to the bed without much thought. Yeosang followed suit, automatically curling up next to Yunho on the same bed. He allowed Yeosang to snuggle into his side and let the darkness of sleep take him away from consciousness much earlier than he would normally allow. He just couldn’t stand the world where his mistakes were so heavy.  
\------------------------------------

It could have been minutes or hours since he had fallen asleep. Yeosang was curled up next to his side still, but he was fast asleep. Outside, it was just after sunset, as Yunho could see the sky darkening yet still. 

He sighed, gently pulling away from Yeosang. When they were no longer touching, it took all of Yunho’s self-control not to curl right back up with the peaceful, sleeping boy. He had been so content, but once he could no longer feel Yunho’s touch, his brow creased in his sleep. 

Yunho leaned over, hesitantly allowing himself to brush a hair away from Yeosang’s face. He let his hand linger on the elder’s face, feeling a tingling from where his fingertips touched him. Yeosang relaxed, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Yunho suddenly flushed, taking his hand away. He turned away quickly, sighing and grabbing his money purse. He hooked it quietly to his belt and managed to get out of the room without waking Yeosang. He locked the door tightly behind him and headed to the front of the inn. 

Jinyoung was still there, manning the front desk. He was nose-deep in a book, and Yunho cleared his throat. 

“Do you have any alcohol?” He asked, sitting down on a stool in front of the desk. 

“That kind of day, huh?” Jinyoung grimaced, reaching behind the counter.

“If I were to drink any day, it will be today,” Yunho responded dejectedly. 

Jinyoung procured an unlabelled bottle of brown liquor, pouring out a glass.

“It’s on the house,” Jinyoung assured Yunho as he reached for his purse. 

“Thanks,” Yunho said, pleasantly surprised. 

\----------------------

It wasn’t long before Yunho was pretty drunk. He had given up trying to talk to Jinyoung and simply began wallowing in his sorrow. He placed his head down and resolved not to drink anymore. The room was spinning, and he knew he would have a headache in the morning already.

The scraping of a chair almost made him lift his head, but he couldn’t find the strength to. He would simply lay here until he felt the motivation to go back to Yeosang. 

“I’ll have what he’s having,” a familiar, gruff voice barked out. Yunho cringed, not moving his head. Of course, Mingi had decided to have a drink at the exact same time as him. He resolved to lay here until Mingi left so that he at least didn’t have to see his face.

“Yknow, it makes sense for us to be concerned,” Mingi said after several minutes of silence. “You did keep the truth from us. That’s not lying, but it’s certainly not the truth.”

Yunho frowned, letting himself sit up. He felt a little dizzy, but fine otherwise. 

“Well, don’t worry.” He slurred slightly. If he had any chance of remaining in the Scourge and being able to protect Yeosang, he should defend it now. Before anybody could kick them out. “If you’re worried I’m going to give away all your information to the Duke, you have no reason for alarm. My father and I do not see eye-to-eye.” 

Surprisingly, Mingi chuckled darkly.

“Tell me about it,” He said, taking another drink. 

“What?” Yunho couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“My father...he was a part of the fight against the Marked,” Mingi sighed. Yunho was confused but allowed Mingi to talk for once. “He passed away. I was only 15. I lived on the streets for almost five years before Seonghwa and Hongjoong found me. They took pity on me and seeing as I was Marked, they let me join them. That was around three or four years ago now.”

Yunho let that information sink in before he turned to face Mingi.

“Thank you for telling me,” he finally said. “You guys are just going to have to trust us if you decide to keep us in. Keep in mind, though. I will swear on my mother’s grave that I won’t betray you.”

Mingi looked shell-shocked, but Yunho had had enough groveling for the day. Maybe that declaration had been a bit overboard, but what could you do? He was drunk and sentimental. He pushed away from the table, thanking Jinyoung for his generosity. He nodded once more at Mingi, who nodded back, before heading back to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, welcome back. It has been a hot minute, hasn't it?? I hope you enjoy! Feel free to scream at me on twitter @niqui_33


	7. Qi Lessons With Jinyoung

Yunho awoke to the troubling absence of any warmth beside him. He had become accustomed to sleeping in the same bed as Yeosang lately. He wasn’t sure if they ever _meant_ to fall asleep together, but they had for days now. It didn’t help how exhausted they were feeling from constant traveling. Though their horses had been doing most of the work, there were muscles used for horseback riding that he had never used before. 

His soreness made him groan as he stretched, looking around the room. Yeosang wasn’t in the other bed, either. He looked outside, cringing as he looked at how bright outside it was. He didn’t realize he had slept for so long. He guessed the alcohol had kept him asleep, but he wondered why Yeosang hadn’t woken him up. 

As he wandered into the front of the inn groggily, he was sidestepped by Wooyoung, who he had almost run into. 

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Wooyoung chuckled. “Everyone’s going to the courtyard to start training with Jinyoung. Don’t be late!” The lithe purple-haired man practically danced away, and Yunho blinked, not able to get a word in edgewise. He shrugged, heading to where he thought the courtyard might be. 

An unfamiliar face greeted Yunho as he walked past the front desk. The man, who looked around the same age as him, smiled at him with brilliant teeth and shining eyes in the shape of a crescent. Yunho smiled back at him, hesitantly, before glancing towards a door open in the back of the room. 

“Is this the courtyard?” He asked, pointing at the door.

“Yep,” the man said, nodding. “Going for lessons with Jinyoung then, yeah?” Yunho nodded in response to the newcomer, trying to place his accent. The lilt in his speech made it sound like he wasn’t Eritrean, but Yunho still wasn’t sure where it came from. He decided not to pry and instead went through the door, giving the intriguing man a nod. 

The courtyard was not actually a courtyard. This part of the inn was near the edge of a city and happened to border a large plain, which had obviously been utilized as a training ground in the past. There was enough room for almost an entire. Yeosang was already here, and he beckoned to Yunho, who joined him at the back of the ‘crowd’. They were set up in a half-circle, with Jinyoung in front of them. 

“Good morning, Yunho,” Jinyoung greeted cheerfully. “I see you still made it to midmorning practice despite last night.” Yunho grimaced, a blush rising to his cheeks. “Quite impressive,” Jinyoung added. “Considering Mingi couldn’t make it.” 

Yunho looked around, and sure enough, Mingi was nowhere to be found. Before he could think about this too much, Jinyoung began to address the group as a whole. 

“As most of you know, my training always starts with a simple yoga sequence,” Yunho and Yeosang glanced at each other and shrugged. “First, we will start with a forward fold. Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, slowly bend forward, keeping your back straight.” 

Jinyoung proceeded to fold himself in half, his head practically between his knees. The spectators followed suit, but only a few could get even close to Jinyoung’s position. Yunho groaned as he tried to touch his toes, only getting about halfway there. 

Jinyoung stood from his pose, going around to each person and correcting them. When he got to Yunho, his brow crinkled a little. 

“Inhale and exhale for me, Yunho,” he requested, and Yunho took a deep breath. As he exhaled, Jinyoung gently pressed on the middle of his back. Yunho felt himself reach further and got several inches closer to his toes. “Keep your back straight, and try to relax your muscles. It will be easier to reach further if you’re not fighting against your own body,” Jinyoung guided. 

“San, would you show the next pose?” Jinyoung asked, and San inhaled, bringing his back up to about a 90-degree angle, his hands placed on his knees. The rest of the group followed suit, Jinyoung giving each of them small suggestions to improve their form.

“Yunho,” Jinyoung interjected, quiet enough not to disturb anyone’s focus. “This sequence is especially important for you. It is from a subset of yoga called qigong yoga. This specific sequence is useful for becoming more aware of the qi that flows through your body.” Yunho grunted in understanding, still following San’s lead. “Qi is like a force of energy. If you are in tune enough with your body, you can feel it. Most people can’t do much more than that, but your ability will allow you to eventually utilize this energy.”

The rest of the yoga lesson passed without much of a hitch, and Yunho seemed to be getting the hang of it.

“Okay, I’ll ask each of you to spar on your own. I’ll be giving a little extra attention to the newcomers today since they’re not used to training,” Jinyoung announced. The Scourge broke apart, heading to their own areas to warm up.

“Yeosang, instead of sparring, I would like you to practice using each element. I will come to instruct you in just a moment.” Yeosang nodded, and then Jinyoung turned to Yunho.

“Your warmup is simple. Have you heard of tai qi?” Jinyoung asked, and Yunho shook his head. “Follow my movements,” Jinyoung instructed, and widened his stance, placing one of his hands over the top of the other, with a little space in between them. Yunho copied the elder. 

“Tai qi is about beginning to manipulate energy from your body, and moving it _outside_ your body. This space in between your hands is where you want the qi to pool. If you’re wondering where to get that qi, the stomach is the part of the body richest in qi. You want to pool some of that qi into this space. These movements,” Jinyoung began to slowly move his hands, still holding his hands the same distance apart. They crossed from in front of his stomach, to as far as he could reach to his left. “Are to begin moving the qi. The first step, however, is the most important right now. Pool that qi in between your hands. I will come back when you can do that.” Jinyoung exhaled slowly, bringing his hands back to the center for a moment before he stood up straight and nodded. Yunho tentatively put his hands together near his stomach as Jinyoung walked away.

\---

Yeosang was working with fire. Fire was his worst element. Since his best element was water, its opposite was exceedingly difficult for him to use. At the moment, he was just attempting to hold a consistent flame in his hand. He never tried to use fire in a fight, as he was scared that he might not be able to control the fire. Therefore, he had never felt the need to practice using it. But maybe with Jinyoung’s help, he could learn to control the fire, and finally, harness the power of all four elements. 

“So you’re having difficulty with fire, then?” Jinyoung’s voice asked from behind him. Yeosang hadn’t yet spoken with Jinyoung one-on-one, but if he was with the Scourge, then he had nothing to worry about.

“Yeah, I always have,” Yeosang said dejectedly. 

“Most elementals do, though you’re the first I’ve seen in a while that has an affinity for all of the elements. Your connection to water is the most powerful I’ve seen, too.” 

Yeosang blushed. “I’m not that powerful,” he mumbled. 

“You have the potential to be a very efficient fighter,” Jinyoung said after a moment, a knowing smirk on his face. “And thankfully, I’m quite familiar with training all the elements.”

Yeosang was suddenly very excited and a little overwhelmed. His entire life (post being kicked out of his home) had been spent trying to be able to use the elements at all. Now he had the chance to train with someone who would teach him how to fight with them. This was too good to be true. 

“Now, since we will only be here for a day or so, I’ll teach you the basics of each element. 

Each element has a different style of fighting. Water itself flows peacefully, so when you utilize it, your movements should be fluid and connected.” Jinyoung proceeded to do what looked like a dance. Each step he took had a stance and pose, but it was difficult to see when that pose changed to the next because of his fluid movements. Yeosang nodded, trying to copy him. 

“As expected, your proficiency with water translates well to your grasp of the style,” Jinyoung said proudly as Yeosang executed a set of perfectly-timed movements. 

“Secondly, earth. Earth is rooted and constant. Your balance should be in your stance, and you should be unmovable.” Jinyoung demonstrated a few stances, and Yeosang copied those as well. The last pose was the simplest, a simple squat with the arms squared by the hips. Jinyoung watched Yeosang assume the position, then gently pushed on the younger’s forehead. Yeosang lost his balance and barely caught himself from falling. 

“Your stance has to be wider. Really root yourself to the ground. If you lose your balance, you lose your grip on the element.” Jinyoung explained and demonstrated the pose again. Yeosang nodded in determination, copying again, but focusing more on his connection to earth. This time, when Jinyoung pushed on his shoulders, Yeosang did not move. 

“Good,” Jinyoung said, and Yeosang straightened up.

“Air is just as fluid as water, but lighter. Water has specific stances, but air requires a quick wit and light movement. Like earth, you should be unmovable, but in the case of air, this should come from quick movements. Air elementals are very difficult to even touch in battle.” Jinyoung showed another sequence, this one more focused on turning and remaining light on one’s feet. As Yeosang followed him, Jinyoung spoke without breaking focus. 

“Always keep your weight centered, and remain on your toes,” he called, finishing the sequence a few seconds before Yeosang did. 

“And lastly,” he began once Yeosang had finished, “Fire is fierce. Utilize fire with strong, tall stances. Flexibility is paramount,” Jinyoung grunted as he demonstrated a kick. “Though fire can be viewed as life, rather than just destruction, it is important that this life is directed properly. To use fire, your movements must be powerful, but intentional. If you throw a fireball with a water-based fighting style, it won’t end well.” 

Yeosang followed Jinyoung as he demonstrated punches and kicks that would be useful for fighting with fire. 

“Now, today I’ve essentially shown you four types of fighting. I recommend you train these sequences for a while before utilizing the actual elements in fighting. Be warned, it is not easy to master an entire type of fighting quickly. If you must fight before mastering the style of each element, I recommend using water alone.” 

“Thank you, Jinyoung,” Yeosang said, bowing respectfully before starting to drill earth fighting stances. Jinyoung smiled proudly and walked back to Yunho’s training area.

\---

It took Yunho almost fifteen minutes to harness even a spark of his qi, and Jinyoung’s footsteps made him lose it.

“Ah, you’re getting there,” Jinyoung noted. 

“I just can’t get any more of the qi out from my body!” Yunho groaned frustratedly and collapsed on the ground.

“Don’t worry, this is the hardest part,” Jinyoung comforted, sitting next to the younger boy.

“The worst part is that I can feel it,” Yunho groaned. “San taught me how to sense energy, but I just can’t move it.” 

After a moment of silence, Jinyoung spoke. “Qi isn’t just a physical thing, it’s also very mental. You could be blocked unknowingly.” 

“What do you mean?” Yunho looked up at the elder, frowning slightly. 

“If you can’t move the qi, it’s likely a mental block. Your ability allows you to move the qi, so it’s not a physical block,” Jinyoung continued. “Is there anything that is stopping you from harnessing your gift?” 

“I...maybe” Yunho responded hesitantly. 

“Whatever is bothering you, you can face it with your friends, or you can face it alone.” 

Jinyoung’s sentence echoed through Yunho’s mind. He knew exactly what his block was. It was his caution from living in fear under his father’s thumb. He just didn’t know how he could face it, let alone get rid of it.

“Sometimes, you just need to talk,” Jinyoung patted Yunho’s shoulder, then stood up. “In the meantime, you can try something else.” 

Yunho nodded and stood up. He would have to face his mental block soon, but he couldn’t do it now. Jinyoung stood as well, setting himself into a wide stance. Yunho followed.

“Now, this exercise is simply to feel the flow of your qi within your body. We extend our arm, keeping one rooted near your stomach. Remember the sea of qi, and feel the energy moving through your body. It should move all the way from your stomach, to the tips of your fingers, and back. Then it goes the other way,” Jinyoung brought his hand back to his stomach, joining the other hand briefly before he switched hands. “The most important part is directing the qi through the stomach.”

Yunho followed his movements, slowly feeling the energy move through his body. It was frustratingly simple, seeing as he could literally visualize and sense the energy, but could not harness it. 

“Be patient, and it will come,” Jinyoung stated. “If you’d like, you could spar with Seonghwa in a few minutes.”

“B-but Seonghwa is so experienced!” Yunho stuttered, letting his hands drop to his sides.

“He’s also gentle. I’ve used him as a sparring partner for many newcomers because he never goes too far,” Jinyoung assured, and Yunho sighed. “Besides, his weapon is quite unique, and provides a challenge.”

Before Yunho could answer, Jinyoung waved and headed towards the rest of the Scourge, and he followed defeatedly. Yeosang joined him eventually, having been told by Jinyoung to join them. 

“How’s your training been?” Yeosang asked, and Yunho sighed. 

“Not great,” he muttered, and Yeosang frowned, grabbing Yunho’s wrist. 

“Well, you’re a great fighter, so let’s show someone who’s boss!” Yeosang smiled, tugging at the taller’s wrist. Yunho couldn’t help but smile back, and they headed towards the sparring ring with renewed confidence. 

“San, you and Jongho,” Jinyoung called out from the edge of the ring.

“Cmere, pretty boy,” Jongho practically growled. 

“You think I’m pretty?” San mocked. “Thanks, maknae. I’ll take it from here.” 

As Yunho and Yeosang joined the edge of the ring, San and Jongho began circling each other. San seemed to dance around the ring, while Jongho’s steps were light but purposeful. It seemed like an eternity before one struck the other, and Jongho moved first. He lunged forward, his choice weapon of a small mace cutting through the air. San dodged easily, but Jongho caught his shoulder with a second, faster swipe. San managed to jump away to assess the situation. But, when Jongho was gloating about getting the first hit, San struck too. He had a dull version of his regular axe, and managed to hit Jongho’s head with the flat of the blade, giving him another opportunity at his throat.

“Call!” Jinyoung yelled out, and the two men backed away from each other. “Jongho, you’re still thinking like a tank. If your opponent is as quick on his feet as San is, you need to adapt!” Jongho bowed respectfully to Jinyoung, but stuck his tongue out at San when he turned away. 

“Seonghwa, Yunho would like to spar with you,” Jinyoung said, and Yunho winced. He didn’t particularly want to spar with Seonghwa, but he would do so nonetheless. Seonghwa nodded and stepped into the ring. As soon as Yunho did the same, Seonghwa’s usual kind demeanor shifted drastically. The eldest’s gaze bit through him like cold steel, and Yunho swallowed. He wasn’t completely useless in a fighting ring, but he was used to fighting much less skilled opponents.

Yunho quickly grabbed a longsword from the edge of the ring. He was most experienced with hand-to-hand and longsword combat. 

As the match began, Yunho took in everything about his surroundings that he could. Seonghwa wielded a whip, which Yunho had never had to fight against before. He assumed that that was the point, to take advantage of lack of experience, but in this case, it wasn’t helping him in the slightest. 

They circled for a while, and Yunho figured Seonghwa was waiting for him to make the first move. Yunho took that time to examine Seonghwa’s gait. He didn’t seem to favor one side over the other, but he held the whip in his right hand. 

At least Yunho knew to attack the left side as he lunged forward, taking a swing at the side that he knew was unguarded. But before he could make contact, he felt something pull on his ankle, and he lost his balance, rolling out of what would have been a faceplant. 

Yunho stood and narrowed his eyes. Seonghwa looked as if he hadn’t moved in the slightest, other than the fact that now his whip was uncoiled. Yunho breathed out forcefully and made himself calm down. Even if he had no chance of winning, he wouldn’t go down without a fight. 

Yunho began to advance slowly, keeping an eye on the whip in his peripheral vision. Maybe he wasn’t ‘vibing with his qi’ or whatever the fuck, but he had been fighting since he was a kid. He took a deep breath, his eyes never once leaving Seonghwa, who was lurking on the other side of the ring, biding time.

This time, he let Seonghwa come to him. When the whip inevitably uncoiled, Yunho watched it fly towards him. It was aimed towards his sword. He tilted his blade so that when the whip made contact with the metal, it slid harmlessly off. Yunho saw the elder’s brow crease even from across the ring. His muscles twitched and before he knew it he was running straight towards Seonghwa. Power seemed to flow directly where he needed it, pushing him forward in an instant. He felt powerful.

Yunho began to raise his blade, and although he was moving faster than he ever had, it looked like he was doing it in slow motion. A pool of dread started to pool in his stomach, and he watched the blade get closer and closer to Seonghwa’s neck. The elder’s eyes were wide but determined, but he wasn’t fast enough to stop Yunho’s momentum. 

The blade stopped a centimeter away from Seonghwa’s neck. Yunho’s eyes quickly widened, and he started to back away slowly. Seonghwa didn’t even have time to change the look of shock on his face before Yunho threw his sword on the ground and ran away, ashamed.

\----------

“Okay, so maybe he can’t control his gift that well yet, but that doesn’t mean he should stop weapons training completely!” Hongjoong threw his hands in the air, exasperated. 

“Just until he learns to control his qi,” Seonghwa pleaded, sitting cross-legged on the bed opposite of Hongjoong’s. 

“If we wait that long, he’ll forget everything he knows about fighting,” Hongjoong warned, his voice getting unintentionally louder.

“But if we let him train weapons, he might hurt somebody accidentally,” Seonghwa reasoned. 

“I know he has it in him, he just needs to use, I don’t know, a stick instead of a--”

“That won’t work, he’s so powerful when he’s in the zone, he could hurt someone with anything,” Seonghwa said, lowering his voice.

“Fine.” Said Hongjoong with finality. “I’m going on a walk.” He stormed out of their shared room, leaving Seonghwa alone on the opposite bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on twitter @niqui_33


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